Sierra Leone may see 5G services from Africell
Damage to telecom infrastructure at the close of the civil war meant that fixed-line telephone connections were not available in most parts of Sierra Leone, leaving mobile telephony services as the only option for voice and data services.
There is effective competition in the mobile market between Africell and Orange Sierra Leone, though minor operators have struggled to gain traction. Intergroup Telecom failed to cover running costs, and stopped operating in late 2017. Comium Sierra Leone had its operating licence suspended in October 2014, and closed down in early 2016. QCell received a licence to operate mobile services in October 2018 and launched services in the following year. However, when the regulator reduced the price floor for voice calls by 9% in 2020, though intended to reduce the cost of services for end-users, the MNOs responded by ending a range of offers and unlimited packages which had allowed subscribers to make cheap phone calls. Many customers were thus angered by the reduced pricing, and QCell in particular was affected since from the outset its has sought to gain market share by offering generous packages, and undercutting its competitors.
Africell was the first network operator to launch LTE services in Sierra Leone, in January 2018. It was followed by Sierratel soon afterwards, covering a wide area of the country, while Orange Sierra Leone launched its LTE service in March 2019.
Although there is no 5G service as yet, Africell in mid-2021 signed a vendor agreement to develop a 5G-network across its markets, including those in Sierra Leone, the DRC, Uganda, and Gambia. At such time as 5G services materialise, data services are expected to remain prohibitively expensive given that the publicly-owned SALCAB operates connectivity to the ACE cable system as well as the national fibre backbone at far below capacity. This has kept access pricing unduly high, and has thus retarded growth in the use of mobile data.
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
- Overview
- Regulatory authority
- Fixed-line developments
- Mobile network developments
Mobile market
- Market analysis
- Mobile licensing
- Mobile statistics
- Mobile data
- Mobile broadband
- Mobile infrastructure
- Major mobile operators
- Mobile content and applications
Fixed-line broadband market
- Introduction and statistical overview
Fixed network operator
- Sierratel
Telecommunications infrastructure
- Overview of the national telecom network
- International infrastructure
Appendix Historic data
- Glossary of abbreviations
- Related reports
List of Tables
- Table 1 Top Level Country Statistics and Telco Authorities Sierra Leone 2022 (e)
- Table 2 GSM licence awards and operations in Sierra Leone
- Table 3 Growth in the number of mobile subscribers and penetration 2012 2027
- Table 4 Growth in the number of active mobile broadband subscribers 2014 2027
- Table 5 Growth in the number of Orange Sierra Leone's mobile subscribers 2016 2021
- Table 6 Internet users and penetration rate 2012 2019
- Table 7 Decline in the number of fixed lines in service and teledensity 2012 2027
- Table 8 International bandwidth 2012 2019
- Table 9 Historic - Fixed lines in service and teledensity 1999 2011
- Table 10 Historic - Internet users and penetration rate 1999 2011
- Table 11 Historic - Mobile subscribers and penetration rate 2000 2011
- Table 12 Historic - Celtel/Zain SL subscribers and market share 2003 2009
List of Charts
- Chart 1 Africa Telecoms Maturity Index Market Leaders
- Chart 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 Growth in the number of mobile subscribers and penetration 2012 2027
- Chart 11 Growth in the number of active mobile broadband subscribers 2014 2027
- Chart 12 Growth in the number of Orange Sierra Leone's mobile subscribers 2016 2021
- Chart 13 Decline in the number of fixed lines in service and teledensity 2012 2027
List of Exhibits
- Exhibit 1 Map of Telecom Maturity Index global ranking among countries in Africa
- Exhibit 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 Sierra Leone
