Bharti To Invest USD 100 Million In Niger

Indian telecoms operator Bharti Airtel plans to invest around USD100 million in Niger to improve the reach and quality of its network in the West African nation by the end of 2012, Reuters reports.

Last month Bharti finalised the acquisition of the African assets of Kuwait-based Zain Group, in a deal valued at USD10.7 billion. The company has taken over Zain’s operations in 15 countries, including Malawi, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Sierra Leone and Uganda.

The Indian company expects to introduce the Airtel brand across its new units by October 2010. ‘We are going to start our activities in Niger in October and, by 2012, we will invest USD100 million in expanding the network, improving quality and the coverage in the rural areas,’ commented Manoj Kohli, chief executive of the group's international business, adding: ‘We will ensure that telecoms becomes more accessible in terms of price and the quality of the service improves.’

Zain Niger is the country’s largest cellco by subscribers, with 1.58 million users at the end of March 2010 (a market share of 61%), followed by Orange Niger with 563,000 users, Moov Niger (341,000) and SahelCom (105,000).

Niger Reduces Zain, Moov's Licences Duration Over Poor Service

Niger’s communications ministry, Autorite de Regulation Multisectorielle (ARM), has reduced the duration of two mobile operators' licences in a row over quality of service, Reuters reports.

The 15-year concession awarded to Kuwait-based telecoms firm Zain in 2000 was reduced by five years, according to ARM, until a return to the stated levels of service quality is achieved. Meanwhile, a 15-year licence awarded to Moov, the brand name of West African company Atlantique Telecom, also in 2000, has been cut by three years.

Togo: Moov Back On Air

Togolese m­obile network operator, Moov has resumed services after being suspended by the regulator last August for non-payment of license fees. The operator has signed an agreement with the Telecommunications Regulation Authority (ARPT) to pay license renewal fees of CFA 25.75 billion (US$48 million) over a twelve year period.

Some 600,000 people lost their mobile phone service as a result of the network closure. During the shut-down, a large number of subscribers moved over to the state-owned operator, Togocel.

When the network was shut-down, there was widespread protests against the move. The local Daily Guide newspaper reported at the time that protesters chanted slogans and carried placards, some of which read "MOOV Forever And Ever" and "Prez. Faure Get Our Phone Connections Back".

Moov is a subsidiary of Atlantique Telecom.

The dominant telco is the state owned Togo Cellular, with around 1.25 million customers. France Telecom's Orange seems to have an operating license but has not started services yet.

Bintel Becomes Fourth Operator in Gabon

Bahrain-based Bintel has been awarded a 15-year mobile licence by Artel, the telecommunications regulatory authority of Gabon. The company, which becomes the fourth mobile operator in the country, is expected to roll out its services in the third quarter of 2009.

With this award, Bintel estimates its initial investment in 2009 in Gabon to be in excess of USD 50 million. Under the agreement, the company is licensed to provide the latest voice and data services to customers in Gabon, including high-speed data and video conferencing. Following the licence acquisition, Bintel has appointed Gilles Villenaut as general manager for its Gabon operations. 

Gabon has an estimated mobile penetration of about 90 percent, which is estimated to grow to 120 percent by 2011. According to Artel, Gabon currently has about 1.3 million mobile subscribers.

Zain's market share stands at about 58 percent, Gabon Telecom at 34 percent and Moov at 8 percent. Bintel is targeting a 6 to 8 percent share of the Gabon market within its first 12 months and a 30 percent share within its first 10 years.