Sudatel awarded Senegal licence

Sudanese incumbent telco Sudatel has been awarded a new comprehensive telecoms services licence in Senegal. Sudatel’s winning bid of XOF96 billion (USD200 million) beat competition from eleven other companies, including the Kuwaiti-owned Celtel Group (now Zain) and Bintel of Saudi Arabia. Sudatel will become the country’s third mobile operator when it launches services and will compete with incumbents Tigo Senegal (formerly SENTEL.gsm) and Orange Senegal (formerly Sonatel Mobiles). Its concession will also allow it to provide fixed line and internet services, head to head with France Telecom-backed former monopoly Sonatel. According to TeleGeography’s GlobalComms database, Senegal was home to close to 3.5 million mobile subscribers at the end of June 2007, 98% of whom took a pre-paid service.