Safaricom CEO Bob Collymore during a media briefing after the company's AGM at the Bomas of Kenya. September 12, 2013. Photo/DIANA NGILA
By Lilian Ochieng'
Safaricom is to start selling television and high-speed bundled Internet services.
Safaricom chief executive Bob Collymore yesterday said he is looking at the role the firm can play in how content is created, acquired and distributed to TV viewers.
“So things like streaming of Internet protocol television, looking at video on demand, balancing the types of content and understanding local market needs are part of the project,” Mr Collymore said.
The firm will use part of its profit for this year to support the plan that will seeks it increase its services.
The services will be launched in 12 months and will be available on mobile phones, tablets and TV sets.
He said they will play a behind-the-scenes role in providing content and delivery to viewers.
He said Broadband penetration was highly dependent on making content available to users.
Plans are also under way to boost high speed Internet connections by acquiring more fourth generation infrastructure.
This will permit users to stream video and download music at very fast speed.
Safaricom has had growth of 30 per cent this year on non-voice services.
Its venture into television and high-speed data was inspired by growth in data and mobile money services in the six months to September.
During that period, earnings from data grew at 37.4 per cent to Sh5.7 billion, triggered by an increase in customers from 5.59 million in the previous period to 8.48 million.
Mr Collymore disclosed that the average revenue per user in mobile data fell by 5.18 per cent.
Safaricom chief financial officer John Tombleson saidthe firm got 2.9 million customers in data but they have not yet grown to match the spending of earlier adopters.
As traditional voice revenues continue to dwindle because of stiff competition from rivals, the firm has earmarked data and mobile money as future growth drivers
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