# Presentation: 216403

## Senegal’s ICT at a glance

**    ****Presenter:  Cynthia Griffin-Greene****	****	****  Regional Senior Commercial Officer****	****	****  Dakar, Senegal**

**Senegal’s ICT at a glance**

**Notes:**
The penetration rate for land lines is very low. Since 2000, the number of mobile lines has exceeded fixed-line telephones 
The penetration rate is the number of line per 100 inhabitants

## Senegal’s ICT at a glance

-   Population:   12 M

-  Greater Dakar:  3 M

-  Urban concentration:  55 %

-  GDP growth 2006:  2 %

-  260 000 fixed lines – 63 percent in Dakar

-  Fixed line penetration rate is 2.46 %

**Notes:**
The penetration rate for land lines is very low. Since 2000, the number of mobile lines has exceeded fixed-line telephones 
The penetration rate is the number of line per 100 inhabitants

## Senegal’s ICT at a glance

-  Internet penetration rate: 0.19 %

-  Mobile growth (05-07):	35 %

-  Number of mobile subscribers 1,600,000 subscribers

-  GSM-covered population 75 percent

-  Mobile penetration:  24 %

-  18,000 telecenters

**Notes:**
The penetration rate for land lines is very low. Since 2000, the number of mobile lines has exceeded fixed-line telephones 
The penetration rate is the number of line per 100 inhabitants

## The Major Players

-  Sonatel is the dominant player

- A subsidiary of France Telecom

- Privatized since 1997

- Sonatel is the fixed-line monopoly

-  A duopoly for the cellular sector:

- Sonatel, through Orange, dominates the cellular market (60 percent of the market)

- Tigo, a subsidiary of Millicom International

**Notes:**
Sonatel has a global telecommunications license which allows the company to operate all the telecommunications networks and services
We have a “regulated” competition in the cellular sector.
The fixed-line monopoly was supposed to end in December 2003. However, in the Sonatel license agreement, the government of Senegal has the discretion of granting a further three-year extension to Sonatel’s monopoly, to the year 2010. This is currently the case
Sonatel is given exclusivity over international connections  

##  Internet bandwidth of 1.2 Gbps

- Internet Market

-  A strong private sector offering value added services.

-  A flurry of call centers mainly serving the European market

-  A growing internet market with a dozen ISP offering value-added services

-  Internet access limited to Sonatel’s node

-  Sonatel is the leading ISP

-  ADSL since 2003

**Notes:**
Sonatel is Senegal’s main Internet Service Provider.  Recently, Sonatel’s cellular and internet branches have gone through a rebranding process and have thus taken the name of Orange, the leading cellular operator in France. 
Senegal is among the few African states offering ADSL standard (the foruth country after SA, Nigeria and Tunisia). The ADSL link was made possible by the SAT 3/WASC Alcatel submarine cable that circles Africa.    

##  The third cellular license is still pending

- The Telecommunications Market

-  One of the best performing telecommunications network in Sub-Saharan Africa

-  A fully digital telephone network

-  Telecommunications market value in 2006: USD 550 million

-  “Deregulated” since 2004.

**Notes:**
In terms of performance of the telecommunications infrastructure, Senegal is second in Sub-Saharan Africa to South African.
In July 2004, Senegal announced the telecommunications sector deregulation, but it is still the statu quo.  Sonatel is still the sole fixed-line operator.  Sonatel has still the monopoly over international calls, data transmission.    
In the telecommunications sectoral letter of July 2004, the GOS had announced its intention to seek a third vertically integrated full-service provide.  The GOS has yet to announce a formal tender offer.   

##  Licensing guidelines for VOIP, broadband wireless, VSAT and other value added services fall into regulatory limbo

- The Regulatory Environment

-  A new telecommunication law in 2001, which supersedes the 1996 telecommunications code

-  The creation of a quasi-independent regulatory agency – ARTP

**Notes:**
The 2001 telecom law further liberalizes the telecommunications sector
ARTP’s director and its five members are nominated by the President of Senegal, which puts into question the Agency’s political independency.     

##   Investment opportunities if the third global license is ever issued.  

- Best Prospects

-   Best opportunities remain in providing value-added services such as Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP), WIFI technology etc...

-  Sales prospects in the supply of switching equipment and routers, as well as cellular handsets

-   Senegal has become a haven for teleprocessing activities. Opportunities for joint ventures for call centers and telemarketing businesses.

**Notes:**
The 2001 telecom law further liberalizes the telecommunications sector
ARTP’s director and its five members are nominated by the President of Senegal, which puts into question the Agency’s political independency.     

## Contact Us

_**CS Dakar**_**: Tel: (221)-823-4296 / Fax: (221)-842-9821**
**	****	****	****   ****www.buyusa.gov/westafrica**

- Marie Paule Ngaleu, Com. Assist., Marie.Paule.Ngaleu @mail.doc.gov

- Steven Morrison, SCO: Steve.Morrison@mail.doc.gov

- Medina Sy, Administrative Assistant: Medina.Sy@mail.doc.gov

- Cynthia Griffin-Greene, RSCO: Cynthia.Griffin.Greene@mail.doc.gov

- Youhanidou Wane Ba, Com. Spec: Youhanidou.Wane.Ba@mail.doc.gov

_**CS Abidjan**_: **Tel: (225) 2249-4507/4406 / Fax (225) 2249-4525**

- Victorine Kabran, Admin. Assistant, Victorine.Kabran@mail.doc.gov

_**Incoming SCO**_:

**Notes:**
The penetration rate for land lines is very low.