The situation has subsequently deteriorated with the shooting of three MMM activists at night in the Plaine-Verte Muslim region. Telecommunications Mauritius Telecom is a state enterprise which grew out of the inland operation which was merged with the overseas company, formerly owned by Cable and Wireless . Recent statistics show it to be the most efficient in the region with the highest penetration level, outstripping even South Africa's Telkom. During the eight year period of 1985 to 1993, Mauritius Telecom had clearly developed a mass market, with the telephone becoming a social commodity. While still well below western European levels of penetration, Mauritius in 1993 had actually a higher level of service than many central and eastern European countries have today.
More recent information indicates rapid consolidation of MT's leading position.
The worldwide wave of liberalisation and privatisation means that the Mauritius government is being pushed in the same direction. There is already an analogue mobile competitor and, following a campaign by MT and the unions, MT will shortly have a digital licence. In the warmth of the evening, adults could be seen with their children, paddling through the edge of the Indian Ocean, while simultaneously making or receiving mobile calls. It is a very telecom and IT oriented society and the most optimistic of MT's marketing experts were overwhelmed by the immediate response from the public when their Internet service was launched in 1996. As a company, MT is not greatly different from other telcos except in scale and in its very positive personnel attitudes.