Several new submarine cables have reached the African continent in the past two years, bringing international fibre optic bandwidth to many countries for the first time which had previously depended entirely on satellites for international access. Especially in those countries where there are now two or more international cables competing, or where fair and open access regimes to a single cable have been established, broadband prices have come down rapidly.
In Mozambique, the Seacom cable landed in mid-2009, followed by the EASSy cable in February 2010. In the same month, mobile network operator Vodacom launched a 3G mobile broadband service. Little more than a year later, prices had fallen by up to 75%.
                               

                              
Some landlocked countries, which depend on transit through neighbouring countries for international submarine fibre access, have also seen significant reductions in broadband pricing.
Zambia was connected to the SAT-3/WASC/SAFE cable in mid-2009 via Namibia and South Africa, and some prices have more than halved since then. However, bandwidth on this relatively old cable is limited, and without infrastructure-based competition on the international level, broadband prices in Zambia have remained high at close to $200 a month even for a relatively slow 512 kilobits a second connection. 
                              

                              
Mauritius also had a monopoly until 2009 with SAT-3/WASC/SAFE being the only international fibre optic cable serving the island. However, here the industry regulator stepped in as early as 2005 and mandated lower prices, with the result that prices were already relatively low when the second cable, Lion landed in mid-2009.
Access to both cables is controlled by the same company, France Telecom-backed Mauritius Telecom, which also operates a mobile network under the Orange brand.
However, while the arrival of Lion triggered no further significant price reductions in the mobile broadband sector, it made more bandwidth available and led to price cuts of more than 40% for MT’s triple play service which combines DSL-based unlimited broadband internet access with broadband television and cheap international VoIP calls. 
                              

                 
Mobile banking in Kenya 
                              
Network operators in Africa are banking on mass adoption of mobile broadband services to create new revenue streams in an environment of rapidly decreasing average revenue per user in the voice market.
But for Safaricom in Kenya, mobile banking has actually overtaken mobile broadband as the biggest non-voice revenue source in 2011. Its mobile payments and banking service M-Pesa generated more than 12% of Safaricom’s total revenue in the 2010-11 financial year, compared to 8% for broadband services and less than 6% for SMS.
By March 2011, more than 80% of Safaricom’s 17 million subscribers were using the service, and about $500 million per month or 20% of Kenya’s entire GDP now passes through M-Pesa in the form of person-to-person transactions (up from $350 million a month or 12% of GDP a year earlier). 
                              

                              
The Middle East 
                              
As in Africa, a number of mobile network operators in the Middle East have turned to mobile broadband services and mobile payments as an opportunity for new revenue growth. Trial and commercial near field communication-based mobile payment services have been carried out in the Middle East.
Due to the lack of NFC enabled handsets, operators have looked at bridging solutions to provide non-NFC capable handsets with NFC capabilities. Two countries which launched commercial services include Turkey and the UAE. 
                              
                     
Turkey 
                              
Garanti Bank and Avea, one of Turkey’s three mobile network operators, launched in December 2010 what was marketed as Turkey first mobile payment application. The NFC contactless payment system is comprised of a flat antenna that attaches to a user’s mobile phone, providing NFC capability. The SIM card is provided by Avea while the antenna is provided by Gemalto. Garanti Bank provides the payment infrastructure. The SIM card is preloaded with MasterCard’s prepaid application although users have the option to change credit cards. 
                                      

                                   
Visa launched a similar NFC trial in early 2011 for Apple iPhones in partnership with Turkcell, Wireless Dynamics and YapiKredi bank. Visa’s trial comprised of an iPhone accessory from Wireless Dynamics which users attach to an iPhone. The accessory is used to provide payments linked to Visa using payment terminals provided by Yapi Kredi bank.
Incumbent mobile network operator Turkcell launched its own NFC service in April 2011 under the Cep-T Cüzdan brand. Turkcell’s NFC service features a MasterCard PayPass application issued by Yapi Kredi bank installed on a Samsung S5230 NFC phone. Turkcell’s NFC service allows payments of up to TRY35 without a PIN number or signature. For Turkcell subscribers without NFC phones the operator also sells the Gemalto antenna to attach to a SIM card.
NFC-based mobile payments has much growth potential in Turkey given the growing number of mobile internet subscribers and the existing developed credit card market; credit card penetration is estimated at 60%.
The credit card companies recognise this potential. As of early 2011 approximately 40,000 merchants accept MasterCard’s PayPass contactless payment system in Turkey. In addition Turkey possesses favourable demographics, with an average age of approximately 30 for its population of 73 million. 
                              
United Arab Emirates 
                              
Although the countries that make up the Gulf region do possess populations as large as Turkey, the significantly higher GDP per capita in the Gulf countries also offers a compelling opportunity for NFC development.
In the UAE, incumbent mobile network operator Etisalat launched a Near Field Communication (NFC) contactless payment service in October 2011. Offered in partnership with MasterCard, the NFC service was developed in partnership with Network International, Oberthur Technologies and Research in Motion (RIM). Initially made available on BlackBerry handsets, the service allows users to pay for purchases up to US$50 by swiping their mobile phone at MasterCard purchase points. Users must then enter a PIN to confirm the transaction.
During December 2009 competing mobile network operator du launched a trial NFC payment system in partnership of Dubai First Platinum MasterCard. Based on MasterCard’s PayPass contactless payment system. The trial was comprised of approximately 250 users and up to 450 merchants. The lack of NFC handsets led du to consider bridging technologies during 2010.
During 2010 analysis by Majid Al Futtaim Finance, issuers of Najm Visa and Najm JCB, found that holders of the Najm Visa credit card used their cards most frequently at supermarkets, representing up to 57% of total monthly spend. In addition credit card usage in retail spending increased by over 30% compared with the same period in the previous year.
Credit card usage in the UAE is expected to further increase following the passing of a resolution by the Supreme Committee for Consumer Protection instructing retailers to stop charging surcharge on credit card usage effective July 2011. GTB