Orange Partner Google to Deepen Mobile Internet Access in Africa

Orange S.A., a French multinational telecommunications corporation, has said it is launching a new affordable smartphone called Sanza touch to improve internet access in Africa.

According to the telecommunication giant, cost has always been a barrier to smartphone adoption in Africa. It said the average cost of an entry-level smartphone is more than 60 percent of average monthly income, making smartphones largely inaccessible for the majority of African people.

Therefore, as part of the GSMA Thrive Africa 2020, Orange will be introducing Sanza touch, an exclusive Orange smartphone and the most affordable 4G Android (Go edition) device globally.

The device will retail at US$30 or around N11,500 in Nigeria.

The company said the affordable price “is intended to make it the most accessible on the market with the goal of driving digital inclusion and providing more people access to mobile internet.”

Sanza touch is a 4G smartphone with a 4″ screen, 8GB memory and a 1750mAh battery, offering over 4 hours battery life while streaming videos. Users can use the Orange app collection (My Orange, Orange Money and Livescreen to stay informed on the latest news trends) and access the most popular apps including YouTube Go, Google Go, Facebook and WhatsApp.

The CEO of Orange Middle East and Africa, Alioune Ndiaye, said: “Orange wants to strongly accelerate access to connectivity on the African continent. One of the barriers to Internet use is the price and ease of use of most smartphones.

“The partnership with Google to offer the Sanza touch smartphone for sale will enable us to solve this problem thanks to its affordable price and advanced functionalities. While 90% of the world’s population is now covered by mobile broadband, 3.3 billion people who live in areas covered by mobile broadband remain unconnected for reasons such as affordability, low levels of literacy and digital skills.”

Mariam Abdullahi, the Director, Platform Partnerships, Android and Play Africa for Google added that “Our mission at Google has always been to Organise the world’s information and make it universally accessible to everyone.”

“We deliver this mission through the building and providing our products and services via key partnerships like this one with Orange. We are excited about the endless possibilities this Sanza touch smartphone will present in learning, economic opportunities and digital accessibility.

“The Goal of our Android devices, including this first-of-its kind highly affordable Android (Go edition) device is to bring the power of computing equitably to all. We can only achieve this mission if everyone is able to access devices at affordable price points to use in their daily lives and have access to the benefits presented by the digital world.“