The telecoms regulator in the African nation of Niger has placed a small advertisement in the back pages of The Economist notifying that it has plans to award a GSM license and a non-technology specific "Mobile Telecommunications" license.
Niger currently has three mobile operators - Celtel, Telecel and SahelCom. According to the Mobile World, the country ended the first half of this year with just 634,000 subscribers - out of a population of 12.9 million, which represents a population penetration level of under 5%. Celtel is currently the dominant operator with over 80% of the market.
Niger is the poorest country in the world, ranking last on the UN's Development Programme's Human Development Index. It is a landlocked, sub-Saharan nation, whose economy centers on subsistence crops, livestock, and some of the world's largest uranium deposits. Drought cycles, desertification, a 2.9% population growth rate, and the drop in world demand for uranium have undercut the economy.
Application Details (taken from the advert):
The tender documents, in French are available upon the payment of EUR3,050 to the Autorite de Regulation Multisectorielle on one of the following accounts:
More information:
Autorite de Regulation Multisectorielle,
64, Rue des Batisseurs, BP 13179
Niamey - Niger
Tel: +227 20 73 90 08/11
Posted to the site on 10th October 2007
Map of Niger
Posted to: www.cellular-news.com/story/26616.php