According to afkinsider, Instant messaging application WhatsApp, which allows subscribers to share photos, videos, voice notes, locations, files and attachments in real-time, is dominating mobile data use in Africa the latest bi-annual internet traffic trends report by Sandvine has shown.
The report, entitled “Global Internet Phenomena Report 1H 2014”, also showed that Netflix had become the second biggest driver of traffic across fixed networks in the UK.
The report is based on data from a selection of Sandvine’s 250-plus communications service provider (CSP) customers spanning North America, Europe, Middle East and Africa, Caribbean and Latin America and Asia-Pacific.
“Just over two years after its launch, Netflix has become the second largest driver of traffic on fixed access networks in the UK and Ireland,” GADGET quotes Dave Caputo, Sandvine’s President and CEO, saying during the report launch.
Sandvine said that an unlimited WhatsApp product developed by Econet Wireless using its management solution experienced a tremendous adoption by subscribers, with the application now accounting for more than 23 percent of network activity.
“On an African mobile network where the majority of subscribers have talk and text plans, WhatsApp accounts for over 23% of traffic due to the introduction of a low-cost, unlimited access plan for the service that is designed to drive data adoption,” the report said.
