Africa, with a population second only to that of the Asia-Pacific region, is ready for the smartphone evolution that will bring ubiquitous internet access.

Nearly half of the 1.17 billion-strong African population had mobile phone plans by the end of 2015, making up 6 percent of the global mobile revenue, according to the latest data from GSM Association, an organization of global mobile operators.

The report, released in November in Tanzania, showed that this is a 70 percent increase from just five years ago. More importantly, smartphone sales now account for 23 percent of the mobile phone market.