Satellite going through its fibre moment – how this will help Africa reach beyond fibre networks to more remote areas

13 September 2019

There are so many different technologies bringing connectivity from the sky or space and all are promising to provide cheaper connectivity. With the implantation of fibre networks in Africa, prices have already fallen and new technologies mean they will continue to fall. Russell Southwood looks at how this will happen and what it will mean for operators’ ability to deliver services more widely. In pricing terms, fibre has always been more transparent than satellite. Even closed operator consortia needed to be transparent with their members about the relationship between the cost of building and prices charged to members. Over time…

Kenya: Tifa Research pitches passive research as the next stage of understanding audience behavior – panel members no longer self-report or recall

11 September 2019

The increase in the use of smartphones is beginning to revolutionize African TV audience research. Kenya’s TIFA Research has been pioneering passive research as a way of improving how to understand Kenya’s TV audience. Russell Southwood spoke to Maggie Ireri, Founder and Director of TIFA Research and Kelvin Masika, its ICT and Innovations Manager about what it all means. Audience research is crucial for Africa’s broadcast industry as it is potentially a trusted way of showing to advertisers and brands who watches which channels. Few African countries are big enough economically to carry out this kind of research so the…

Sub-Saharan Africa's Broadcasting Landscape

Balancing Act is pleased to announce the publication of Sub-Saharan Africa’s Broadcasting Landscape and Nine Key Markets. The report is a joint publication with one of the continent’s leading providers of mobile-based research and insights GeoPoll.