[kictanet] Fw: [DigAfrica] African VoIP Markets: Answers to pressing question

[alice at apc.org]

>From Balancing Act:
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African telcos are having to react either to price pressure from the
grey market or newly legal VoIP service providers. The impact of VoIP
on international prices is only the beginning: in newly legal VoIP
markets, the arbitrage opportunity is moving to the national level.

Many operators are seeking to remain competitive by simply offering
cheaper prices to their customers, either through a specific VoIP
service offering or to all customers. But in any price war with the
grey market there is only way one for prices to go: downwards. But
VoIP is the precursor of much larger changes for operators and they
need to create new strategies to remain in the game in more
competitive markets:

Price cutting cannibalises existing income but also increases
volumes: in other words, increased volumes may cover income losses
from higher rates. Do you know what has happened to the traffic
volumes of those carriers who have lowered prices?
A small number of African countries have more or less legalised VoIP
for a new generation of VoIP service providers. Further countries are
in the queue to do the same and some countries have an anomalous use
of VoIP for certain carriers. Do you know which these countries are
and how it will affect your business?
There has been much talk of NGN networks but for nearly all carriers
this is a much more complicated process of transition. Do you know
where you are in that transition process and where your competitors
have got to?
A number of African carriers have convinced themselves that "triple
play" is one strategy to combat leakage of customers to the new VoIP
service providers. You might think that these carriers have got a
clearly defined strategy. But do you know what the rates and market
potential is for a service like this that includes VoIP?
African VoIP Markets is a 170 page report with 28 tables that looks
at all aspects of VoIP in the region. Can you answer the questions
facing your business?

go to: http://www.balancingact-africa.com/voipmarks.html