The great MVNO race that’s underway in Africa continues to be a hot news topic, and our PortaOne leadership team is often being asked to provide context and insight into this fast-evolving telecom sector. In a recent interview with TechAfrica News, PortaOne chief commercial officer Roman Khalenkov notes the key challenge of shifting regulatory environments across borders:
The main challenge, I would say, is regulations because there is a very different level of advancement in different countries. There might be advanced regulations and sets of policies in South Africa but still not in other African countries. The more regulators allow to liberalize the mobile market, the fewer challenges there will be to incumbents and newcomers.
Only a couple of years ago, Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs) represented just a small fraction of total mobile subscribers in Africa. The operational model is on a fast rise, however – particularly in countries like Senegal.
But along with that regulatory complexity, providers in Africa also face challenges like MVNO infrastructure limitations and technology adoption hurdles. Two keys strategies for overcoming these obstacles are operational agility and the fast adoption of innovations such as eSIM technology.
Some MVNOs may discount eSIM technology as, at present, many mobile users in Africa are still unfamiliar with it. But as more and more users (and MVNOs) discover the obvious benefits of eSIM (such as the ability to sign up remotely, being able to switch accounts on the same phone, and, of course, being able to ditch the SIM card as just a few), that reluctance will change very quickly, as it has elsewhere. To gain an edge in building an early eSIM customer base, MVNOs need to invest in consumer education to demonstrate these benefits, which requires targeted marketing, clear support resources, and in-store demonstrations.
PortaOne recently held an informative webinar on eSIM technology, offering insights into cost reduction and business efficiency. Watch as industry experts provide a comprehensive overview of eSIM integration and demonstrate its real-world applications.
The TechAfrica article comes on the heels of another recent interview with PortaOne CEO Andriy Zhylenko in which he discusses the role of PortaOne solutions in enabling MVNOs to efficiently navigate the dynamic landscape of the African market. With regulatory support and technological advances, MVNOs will be ready to play a transformative role in driving connectivity and socio-economic development across the continent.
Finally, check out this previous interview in which PortaOne CCO Roman Khalenkov goes into more detail on the challenges facing MVNOs in Africa, with regulatory burdens at the forefront.
