Gambia to improve market competition with a fifth mobile licence
Gambia’s telecom market is technically competitive, given that there are four network operators offering services. However, Africell Gambia is by far the dominant player. The others include Gamcel, which in 2019 sought a government bailout to avoid having to close down operations. Revenue was insufficient to allow for investment in network infrastructure and technologies, and as a result its services were limited to voice and basic data. The network reach was also restricted to the main towns, and where it was available customers experienced serious network congestion. As a result, the company lost market share steadily, with the number of subscribers having fallen 81% in the three years to be beginning of 2021.
Comium has also suffered subscriber losses in recent years, again the result of inadequate network reach and capabilities. The company has similarly faced financial difficulties: having failed to pay fees and taxes owed, the government in October 2021 temporarily suspended its licence. The company was saved by an outside investment, which enabled it to pay a part of its debt. Nevertheless, its position in the market remains precarious.
The other operator QCell has fared better, and has seen its market share increase steadily. The company’s licence was the first in the country to include 3G services.
Recently, the government licensed the locally-owned company Giraffe Telecom to provide mobile services. No services have been set up yet, since no spectrum has yet been allocated to it. This spectrum is likely to be secured from concessions already made to the other MNOs, but which are underused.
Table of Contents
Key statistics
Regional Africa Market Comparison
- Market characteristics
- Market Leaders
- Market Challengers
- Market Emergents
- TMI vs GDP
- Mobile and mobile broadband penetration
- Fixed versus mobile broadband penetration
Country overview
Telecommunications market
- Market analysis
Regulatory environment
- Regulatory authorities
- Fixed-line developments
- Mobile network developments
Mobile market
- Market analysis
- Mobile statistics
- Mobile infrastructure
- Major mobile operators
- Mobile content and applications
Fixed-line broadband market
- Market analysis
- Broadband statistics
- Internet Exchange Point (IXP)
- Fixed-line broadband technologies
Digital economy
- e-government
- Tele-education
Fixed network operator
- Gambia Telecommunications (Gamtel)
Telecommunications infrastructure
- Overview of the national telecom network
- International infrastructure
Appendix
Glossary of abbreviations
Related reports
List of Tables
Table 1 Top Level Country Statistics and Telco Authorities Gambia 2022 (e)Table 2 Telecom investment 2012 2018
Table 3 Growth in the number of mobile subscribers and penetration 2012 2027
Table 4 Growth in the share of mobile subscribers by operator 2012 2020
Table 5 Growth in the number of LTE subscribers by operator 2018 2020
Table 6 Growth in the number of 3G mobile subscribers by operator 2016 2020
Table 7 Growth in the number of mobile broadband subscribers and penetration 2012 2027
Table 8 Growth in the number of Gamcel's mobile subscribers 2012 2020
Table 9 Growth in the number of Africell Gambia's mobile subscribers 2012 2020
Table 10 Change in the number of Comium's mobile subscribers 2012 2020
Table 11 Growth in the number of QCell's mobile subscribers 2012 2020
Table 12 Internet users and penetration 2012 2019
Table 13 Growth in the number of fixed-line broadband subscribers 2012 2027
Table 14 Growth in the number of fixed-line broadband subscribers by operator 2013 2020
Table 15 Change in the number of fixed lines in service and teledensity 2012 2027
Table 16 International Internet bandwidth 2012 2018
Table 17 Historic - Mobile subscribers and penetration rate in Gambia 1999 2011
Table 18 Historic - Internet users and penetration rate in Gambia 1999 2011
Table 19 Historic - Fixed lines in service and teledensity in Gambia 1999 2011
Table 20 Historic - International internet bandwidth 2002 2011
Table 21 Historic - Fixed-line broadband subscribers 2004 2011
Table 22 Historic - Gamtel financial data (GMD million) 2012 2014
List of Charts
Chart 1 Africa Telecoms Maturity Index Market LeadersChart 2 Africa Market Leaders global ranking
Chart 3 Africa Telecoms Maturity Index Market Challengers
Chart 4 Africa Market Challengers global ranking
Chart 5 Africa Telecoms Maturity Index Market Emergents
Chart 6 Africa Market Emergents global ranking
Chart 7 Africa Telecoms Maturity Index vs GDP per capita
Chart 8 Africa Mobile subscriber penetration vs mobile broadband penetration
Chart 9 Africa Fixed and mobile broadband penetration
Chart 10 Telecom investment 2011 2018
Chart 11 Growth in the number of mobile subscribers and penetration 2012 2027
Chart 12 Growth in the share of mobile subscribers by operator 2012 2020
Chart 13 Growth in the number of LTE mobile subscribers by operator 2018 2020
Chart 14 Growth in the number of 3G mobile subscribers by operator 2016 2020
Chart 15 Growth in the number of mobile broadband subscribers and penetration 2012 2027
Chart 16 Growth in the number of Gamcel's mobile subscribers 2012 2020
Chart 17 Growth in the number of Africell Gambia's mobile subscribers 2009 2020
Chart 18 Change in the number of Comium's mobile subscribers 2012 2020
Chart 19 Growth in the number of QCell's mobile subscribers 2009 2020
Chart 20 Internet users and penetration 2012 2019
Chart 21 Growth in the number of fixed-line broadband subscribers 2012 2027
Chart 22 Growth in the number of fixed-line broadband subscribers by operator 2013 2020
Chart 23 Change in the number of fixed lines in service and teledensity 2012 2027
Chart 24 International Internet bandwidth 2012 2018
List of Exhibits
Exhibit 1 Map of Telecom Maturity Index global ranking among countries in AfricaExhibit 2 Generalised Market Characteristics by Market Segment
Exhibit 3 Africa Market Leaders and market developments
Exhibit 4 Africa Market Challengers and market developments
Exhibit 5 Africa Market Emergents and market developments
Exhibit 6 Map of Gambia
Executive Summary
The Gambia - Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband - Statistics and Analyses report includes all relevant publisher research data and analysis. Covering trends and developments in telecommunications, mobile, internet, broadband, infrastructure and regulation. Please review the Executive Summary and Table of Contents for more details.Companies Mentioned
- Gambia Telecommunications (Gamtel)
- Gamcel
- Africell
- Comium
- QCell
- Globacom
- Thuraya
- GamNet
- QuantumNet
- Netpage
- Airtip
