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WhatsApp and Viber Top Messaging and VoIP Service in Africa, says Sandvine

WhatsApp and Viber Top Messaging and VoIP Service in Africa, says Sandvine Image Credit: WhatsApp

WhatsApp is the leading third-party messaging application in Africa, accounting for 7% of total traffic in contrary to North America and Europe where it accounts for less than 2% of total traffic, according to Sandvine’s Global Internet Phenomena Program.  Sandvine's data also shows that Viber has overtaken Skype as the leading VoIP service on several networks, while streaming video is the leading source of downstream traffic (26%), but is still significantly lower than most other world markets where it is typically the majority of traffic.

The P2P Filesharing which was a major traffic source a few years ago still represents over 15% of total fixed network traffic, likely due to the lack of over-the-top streaming options and the poorer streaming experience afforded by slower networks.

Sandvine, a leading provider of intelligent broadband and network solutions for fixed and mobile operators, said that the company's solutions are currently being used by more than 30 networks in approximately 20 African countries to provide actionable business intelligence and policy solutions in order to deploy new services and improve subscribers’ Internet quality of experience.

Tom Donnelly, Sandvine’s COO, Sales and Global Services
Throughout Africa, communications service providers are rapidly building out their networks to enhance services and extend coverage into new and previously unconnected locations. Sandvine’s success in Africa has made it possible to reveal the latest regional Internet usage data which our customers can use to help improve subscribers’ quality of experience and offer innovative new service tiers.

Author

Ray is a news editor at The Fast Mode, bringing with him more than 10 years of experience in the wireless industry.

For tips and feedback, email Ray at ray.sharma(at)thefastmode.com, or reach him on LinkedIn @raysharma10, Facebook @1RaySharma

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