The number of subscribers of mobile telephone services in Cabo Verde (Cape Verde) increased to over 613,000 in 2014, representing growth of over 18 percent compared to 2013, the National Communications Agency (ANAC) reported in Praia.

The number of subscribers of both postpaid and prepaid plans, exceeds the archipelago’s population which, according to 2010 Census data from the National Statistics Institute, was nearly 492,000 people.

“The number of subscribers in the Cape Verdean market has shown an upward trend, driven by tariff policies and the various promotional activities by operators and by the mobility that the service offers, both in voice and data services,” ANAC reported , cited by state news agency Inforpress.

In December 2014, the number of subscribers represented a penetration rate for mobile services of 118.13 percent.

The figures issued by ANAC show that traffic originating on mobile networks in 2014 totalled about 658 million minutes, posting a 22 percent increase over the previous year.

The number of minutes of calls between mobile networks was 593 million, which shows a considerable volume of traffic on mobile networks, confirming Cape Verdeans preference for this service, the news agency said. (macauhub/CV)