State-owned telco Societe des Telecoms de Guinee (Sotelgui), now known as Guinee Telecom, could be operational by the end of the month, telecom minister Ousmane Gaoual Diallo informed a cabinet meeting last Thursday. According to local news outlet Mosaique Guinee, the operator performed network tests in mid-December as part of its original plan to launch mobile services before the end of the year. Although no further details have been disclosed, the minister previously said Guinee Telecom planned to launch with 4G and 5G technologies to ensure that it does not lag behind its competitors.
Sotelgui’s relaunch will be the culmination of a long process that has seen many false dawns in the years since the operator was declared bankrupt in February 2013, leaving the country reliant on mobile networks owned by international countries, namely Orange, MTN and Cellcom. With a view to creating a new legal entity which would take over its assets and activities, former President Alpha Conde issued a decree in September 2017 formally dissolving the company and assuming responsibility for its debts. However, despite the announcement of financial support from the African Development Bank (AfDB) in March 2021, progress proved slow and was further hindered by a military coup in September that year.