GETESA, Sonatel Mobiles and Ikatel adopt Orange brand

The wireless arms of France Telecom backed GETESA (Equatorial Guinea), Sonatel (Senegal) and Ikatel (Mali) have all been rebranded under the Orange brandname. GETESA, a fixed line and wireless service provider which is 40% owned by the France Telecom group, has a monopoly on the provision of wireless services in Equatorial Guinea. It launched its GSM-1800 network in April 2000 under the brand name ECUATOR. Sonatel Mobiles is a wholly owned subsidiary of national fixed line operator Sonatel, itself 47% owned by the French incumbent. It operates under the brand name Alizé and was the first mobile provider in Senegal, having launched services in September 1996. By the end of December 2005 Sonatel Mobiles’ network covered approximately 54% of the population. Ikatel, 87% owned by Sonatel, won Mali’s second national operator concession, including a GSM-900 licence, in March 2002.