Bintel Goes Live In Gabon as Azur Brand

Gabon's fourth mobile operator Azur (the brand name of USAN Gabon) launched commercial GSM services in the capital Libreville on 8 October, reports Gaboneco.

 

A subsidiary of Middle Eastern firm Bintel, Azur launched over a network of 35 base stations with a capacity of 100,000 lines, whilst it aims to expand to Port-Gentil and Franceville in the next few weeks, before rolling out services nationwide next year.

Azur is aiming to pick up subscribers by undercutting existing operators' pre-paid domestic and international call tariffs. At the end of June 2009 Gabon had over 1.4 million active cellular subscriptions, split between Zain (56%), Libertis (36%) and Moov (8%).

Bintel Awarded Gabon's Fourth Licence

Bahrain based mo­bile holding firm, Bintel has announced that it has been awarded a 15-year mobile operator license in Gabon - making it the fourth operator in the country. The company is expected to launch its network in the third quarter of 2009.

Bintel estimates its initial investment in 2009 in Gabon to be in excess of US$50 million. Bintel is targeting a 6 to 8% share of the Gabon market within its first 12 months and a 30% share within its first 10 years.

"Bintel is committed to redefining Gabon's telecommunications landscape by building a state-of-the-art mobile communications network and providing customers the most advanced mobile services," said Mr. Alawi Baroum, CEO of Bintel. "Bintel's entry into Gabon would further intensify competition in the highly liberalized domestic market, which would ultimately work to the advantage of end users who would have a wider portfolio of services to choose from and can also benefit from more competitive pricing."

According to figures from the Mobile World subscriber tracker, the country ended last September with an estimated 1.36 million mobile phone users - representing a population penetration level of 91%.

Gabon is more prosperous than most nearby countries, with a per capita income of four times the average for Sub-Saharan Africa. This is in large part due to offshore oil production.

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. 

Bintel to Expand Africa Operations

Middle East and Africa telecom service provider Bintel has announced major investment plans as part of its strategic expansion programme. The Bahrain-based company plans to enter at least three new markets in Africa in the next two years and has allocated USD 250 million for investment in the region.

In early 2008, Bintel acquired a majority stake in Telesonique, a Swiss-based wholesale traffic company, as part of its strategy to build a reliable network of telecommunications services strategic partners. Established in 2007, Bintel has Middle East offices in Bahrain, Dubai and Lebanon and operates GSM networks in Central African Republic (since mid-2007) and Somaliland (since mid-2008).