LIVE FROM GSMA MOBILE 360 AFRICA: Sonia Jorge, executive director of the Alliance for Affordable Internet, said that the success of competition between operators varies market by market – sometimes the outcome is positive, other times, despite tussles over pricing, the winner is less clear.

Jorge said there is no ideal number when it comes to how many operators in a market are needed to reap the benefits of competition. However, what is important is that operators understand the market and regulators promote market growth and create the right incentives.

Jorge pointed out that, on average, access to entry-level mobile broadband services takes up 40 per cent of a consumer’s monthly income, which is cause for major concern. The alliance is “working on an international advocacy level as well as through direct engagement with countries” to try and bring this figure down to 5 per cent.

She said that policy is important because the government needs a vision that shows its support for regulators to implement changes at a practical level.

Speaking on the subject of a ground-breaking wholesale LTE network built in Rwanda by the country’s government in partnership with Korea’s KT, the session’s panel was somewhat sceptical, describing it as “experimental”. The first commercial services are due to launch over the 4G network next Tuesday (11 November).

According to John Garrity, policy adviser on global technology policy with Cisco, a balance in regulation is needed and prices should not be so high so as to impact consumers, but high enough so that investors can get returns.

Jorge said that “creating a monopoly at wholesale shouldn’t decrease competition at retail” and that the model would be an interesting one to follow.

Access to handsets
While the pricing of handsets is an important issue when it comes to affordable telecoms, keeping the device charged is a problem for those users who are offgrid.

Israeli firm Nova-Lumos is dealing with this challenge by bringing affordable electricity to off-grid communities via an indoor unit charged through solar panels, both of which can be bought or leased. It has partnered with operators such as MTN Nigeria to encourage the use of these units, CEO Davidi Vortman said.

On the same issue, Microsoft’s Gerard Brandjes said his company is making devices that can last up to 30 days with one charge.