Guinea - Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband - Statistics and Analyses

Guinea - Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband - Statistics and Analyses

Guinea gains telecom monitoring platform. The telecom regulator has for some years provided a monitoring scheme for Quality of Service parameters relating to mobile services. In 2021, the regulator expanded its ability to monitor not only elements within the mobile sector, but also a range of digital platforms in the county, including interconnectivity, data services, and m-money. Global Voice Group (GVG) was contracted to develop a platform as well as the tools required. The company will manage the monitoring aspects for five years, after which the regulator will take over responsibility. The regulator has also imposed a ruling which enforced SIM card registration. In common with other countries in the region, it was claimed to be directed against potential fraud, crime, and terrorism. The ruling effectively implemented a provision of the 2015 Telecommunications Law concerned with subscriber identification, and which had not yet taken effect. Operators face a fine of up to GNF10 million if they provide mobile voice or data services to SIM cards activated without the registered subscribers being properly identified. The number of mobile subscribers increased 11.6% in 2020, and by 8.7% in the year to September 2021, reaching 15.136 million. This strong growth has been stimulated by the various demands made on subscriber usage during the pandemic. It has also been encouraged by the renewed licenses secured by the two MNOs. Orange Guinea was awarded a ten-year licence to provide LTE services in March 2019. Under the terms of its licence, the operator was obliged to provide GSM and 3G coverage to all districts, roads, and railways across the country, and also to provide LTE to all cities and all capital towns of the prefectures and sub-prefectures. MTN Guinea was awarded an LTE licence in February 2022, and at the same time it renewed its GSM and 3G licences for ten years, under the same coverage obligations as its competitor.