Smartphones as cheap as $50 are set to help bridge sub-Saharan Africa’s digital divide, according to a report by technology company Ericsson.

The report, entitled the ConsumerLab, is Ericsson's first regional consumer insight report focusing on trends and analysis of the mobile ecosystem in sub-Saharan Africa.

Key findings include that sending or receiving text messages, social networking and browsing the internet are the three top uses of communications services in sub-Saharan Africa.

According to the ConsumerLab report, 72% of mobile phone owners use their devices to send or receive SMS’s and 44% use them for social networking. Meanwhile, 43% of people use their devices to browse the internet.

But the report also highlights how mobile phones create and promote connectivity in the region from a consumer perspective, covering topics such as smartphones, the internet, financial services, and applications, reads the statement.

“Our analysis shows that the entry of low-cost smartphone handsets in the market will allow people from different social classes to benefit from an integrated ecosystem,” said Shiletsi Makhofane, head of marketing, strategy, government and industry relations at Ericsson sub-Saharan Africa.

"The smartphone will become key to accessing the internet, which we believe will change the regional status quo and enable a level of connectivity not seen before. Add to this the on-going installation of submarine cables and country/city fiber-optic networks across the continent, and we’ll see a significant increase in the potential for connectivity and supporting infrastructure for greater data consumption," he added.

The report has also found that the smartphone may be key to enabling internet usage and that it is an essential device in connecting personal and professional lives, as well as society at large.

Furthermore, growth in the uptake of smartphones, which are presently seen as expensive, is expected to significantly increase, especially with the anticipated introduction of a smartphone in the $50 price range.

Smartphone users are driving internet use and they are showing strong interest in performing data-intensive mobile activities such as video calling, watching live TV shows, and streaming videos from channels such as YouTube, the report reads.