It has been long time coming; GSM networks (Celcos) are coming to their end of life. The jostling in the sector in the last few weeks points to a very unsettled sector entering the edge of a destructive storm bound to change the sector forever. One needs not to be a rocket scientist to see that the voice business is no longer viable for operators. With margins down to just a few shillings, operators have been forced back to the drawing board to plot for their survival.
As expected, focus has now shifted to the provision of data to cushion the possible losses in the voice business as a result of the massive price cuts. Infact, the provision of data access is now the most important part of a mobile operator’s business. Its not far fetched that in the not so distant future some may decide that offering voice services does not make economic sense.