WhatsApp accounts for 23% of all internet traffic on Econet’s network

WhatsApp now constitutes 23% of internet traffic on Econet’s network since the introduction of WhatsApp bundles in February. This is according to a press released published by Econet’s technical partner in the implementation of the app-based bundles, Sandvine.

The release says Econet has experienced tremendous success with the WhatsApp bundles thanks to “Sandvine’s Usage Management solution implemented with Sandvine’s local partner Three6Five Technologies“.

Part of the release reads:

Since February 2014, the Unlimited WhatsApp bundle has experienced tremendous adoption by Econet subscribers, WhatsApp now accounts for more than 23% of network activity. Econet’s Unlimited WhatsApp bundle allows subscribers to share photos, videos, voice notes, locations, files and attachments on the popular real-time communications application, as often as they want for a fixed price per month, week or even per day.

Remember that even though Sandvine says all network activity, it’s really just the IP activity which excludes some Voice, SMS and USSD traffic. If you’re wondering how WhatsApp compares to Facebook, for which Econet also has an unlimited bundled service, well tthe release doesn’t really specify, only saying it’s also experiencing “also experiencing high-adoption.” An Econet source told us Facebook traffic on their network was overtaken by WhatsApp last year.

The belief is that high data usage on WhatsApp is because of the unlimited access made possible by bundles, WhatsApp has become the main platform for sharing multimedia content at low cost. Just last year, the majority of Econet broadband customers could not share videos or large file images on WhatsApp but today it has become an everyday, occurrence.

This can also be attributed to the simplicity and uniformity of WhatsApp across devices that’s it can work on. And they are many. WhatsApp is the same great experience for a feature phone user as it is for a Samsung Galaxy S5 owner. The same cannot be said about Facebook, WeChat, Google Hangouts and other such apps.

Here’s the full release from Sandvine:

Sandvine (TSX: SVC), a leading provider of intelligent broadband and network solutions for fixed and mobile operators, today announced the overwhelming success of Econet Wireless’s innovative service plans and how they are transforming network usage in the region.

Recognizing the opportunity for service plans that aligned with subscriber behaviors and trends, Econet Wireless developed and launched an unlimited WhatsApp bundle, using Sandvine’s Usage Management solution implemented with Sandvine’s local partner Three6Five Technologies. The WhatsApp bundles includes varying plans – 30 cents daily, 95 cents per week and $3 a month – to offer bite-sized Internet plans priced to meet the needs of the market demographic.

“Sandvine’s leading business intelligence and service innovation capabilities enable us to better understand emerging trends on our network and act quickly to rapidly introduce new, innovative services that are highly-valued by our customers and that give us a competitive edge in our market,” said Leon de Fleuriot, General Manager: Products and Services.

Since February 2014, the Unlimited WhatsApp bundle has experienced tremendous adoption by Econet subscribers, WhatsApp now accounts for more than 23% of network activity. Econet’s Unlimited WhatsApp bundle allows subscribers to share photos, videos, voice notes, locations, files and attachments on the popular real-time communications application, as often as they want for a fixed price per month, week or even per day.

“Many subscribers are using first generation smartphones and Talk and Text plans. This bundle has opened up an opportunity for Econet to launch service plans that incentivize subscribers to move to data-driven services that are affordable to users and profitable to the network,” said Don Bowman, CTO, Sandvine.

While other operators are talking about what to do in the future and what their platforms can support, Econet is using Sandvine solutions to seize opportunities and maintain their position as market-leader. The launch of Econet’s WhatsApp bundle complements the recently launched Facebook service plan, also experiencing high-adoption.