RIYADH — Mobile broadband subscription penetration in the Sub-Saharan Africa region is approximately 30 percent and is forecast to reach around 50 percent by the end of 2025. Driving factors include a young and fast-growing population and an increasing demand for digital services and financial inclusion.
MTN, a leading telecommunications company with a presence in 21 countries in Africa and the Middle East, is on a mission to empower its network and deliver innovative products and services relevant to the needs of their customers. An Ericsson Mobility Report article published in conjunction with the AfricaCOM 2019 event examines market growth for mobile services in Ghana and Rwanda, and how a structured customer experience program helped improve the quality of services and the end-user experience in these two markets.
Navi Naidoo, Executive, Networks Planning and Design, MTN group, said: “Evolving and expanding our networks to meet ever-growing demands from consumers and business users is one of MTN’s strategic aims. Our long-term partnership with Ericsson is aimed at delivering the best possible user experience across Africa and helps meet the mobile data demands of tomorrow. Ericsson’s services enable us to provide superior network performance and facilitate the evolution of nationwide mobile networks.”
Despite 13 percent of the world’s population living in Sub-Saharan Africa, the region is served by less than 2 percent of the mobile base stations installed globally with a relatively low smartphone penetration. MTN’s digital inclusion framework dubbed CHASE outlines initiatives to build sufficient network coverage in rural and low-income areas and make data-enabled devices accessible and affordable to all customers. It does so while ensuring simplified and relevant data packages and improving digital literacy and awareness of how the internet enhances how people live, work and play.
MTN uses Net Promoter Score (NPS) benchmarking for measuring and gaining insight into customer satisfaction. Taking the NPS methodology a step further, the Ericsson Mobility Report article describes MTN’s structured and proactive approach to improving customer experience by connecting network performance improvements to customer satisfaction and ultimately commercial results.
MTN has implemented the Ericsson Customer Experience Program (ECEP) in eight networks including Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Ghana, Benin, Nigeria, Cameroon, Rwanda, and South-Africa.
Nicolas Blixell, Vice President at Ericsson Middle East and Africa says: “During a time when customization of offers and understanding how to delight a customer are key to retention, growth and revenues, ECEP is all about the customer and a 360-degree view of their experience. Using weighted service KPIs to predict customer satisfaction, the program leads to actionable insights—helping MTN to sustain high performance, grab new monetization opportunities, and deliver a superior, tailored experience to every customer.”
With customers in Sub-Saharan Africa still early in the data adoption journey, MTN is delivering connectivity across its markets to realize the ambition that everyone deserves the benefits of a modern connected life, contributing to UN’s sustainable development goals of reducing poverty, improving health and well-being, and stimulating economic growth. — SG