“新天地”アフリカの通信市場

世界の約15%、10億に近い人口を抱え新興市場として注目を集めるアフリカは、今や豊富な地下資源と拡大する市場を求めて各国政府が戦略的な関係強化を進める有望市場となり、旧宗主国の欧州だけでなく、地理的に近い中東、そして同じ新興国のインドや中国からも様々な形の参入が相次いでいる。ワールドカップ2010を通じて世界中の注目を集めたアフリカは、先進国がリーマンショック後の経済不況に喘ぐ間も順調に経済発展を続けている。本稿では、新興市場として活況を呈するアフリカの通信事情の特徴をまとめ、主要事業者の事業展開を中心に動きの激しい市場の姿を報告する。
1. アフリカ基礎情報
2. アフリカの通信市場概観
3. アフリカの主な通信関連トピックス

As an emerging market with one billion people, accounting for 15% of the world’s population, Africa now draws attention from all over the world. Presently, the governments of all major nations are strengthening their strategic partnerships with African countries, with a particular focus upon acquiring underground mineral resources, and increasing business opportunities in this expanding and lucrative market. These nations are not only limited to the former European colonial powers, but also include countries from the neighboring Middle East, and even India and China, which have one after the other started pursuing their goals in this continent of massive potential.
African countries, highlighted by the 2010 World Cup, have been making steady progress toward economic development, at the very time when advanced countries are currently struggling with the economic downturn brought on by the global financial crisis. This article focuses on one of the most dynamic areas of growth in the continent, the booming African telecommunications market, and reports on this emerging region in global telecommunications and also introduces the latest trends. Areas covered include:
-　Basic information about Africa
-　An overview of the African telecommunications market
-　Major topics Major topics
If you consider Africa as a “market”, it is important not to evaluate a particular country only in terms of current statistics such as population, GDP, literacy rate, and penetration rate of services. Rather, it is necessary to evaluate the country as a part of a planar expansion in terms of a mid-to-long-term strategy.
ICT utilization is highly anticipated in developing countries due to its applications in e-education and e-medicine/e-health, which are sure to contribute to an improvement in living standards. In the developed countries where the basic telecom market has already reached a point of saturation, ICT utilization is regarded as a breakthrough for the generation of new business opportunities; while in developing countries, ICT utilization has a direct impact on the expansion of basic telecom market because it is being driven through tangible improvements in living standards.