Guinea Telecoms Market Report

Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband - Statistics and Analyses

Last updated: 13 Mar 2024 Update History

Report Status: Current

Report Pages: 150

Lead Analyst: Henry Lancaster

Contributing Analyst: Peter Lange

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Summary
Table Of Contents

Guinea aiming to relaunch Guinée Télécom

Guinea’s telecom market is dominated by the international operators MTN and Orange. After the entry of these regional players, and helped by the bankruptcy and market exit of the incumbent telco Sotelgui, the number of mobile subscribers grew strongly. The government since 2019 has sought to secure partners and investors to help launch a replacement operator, Guinée Télécom. Although some funding has been provided, and network trials were undertaken in late 2022, thus far there is no fixed schedule for the operator to launch services.

Fixed broadband services are still very limited and expensive, though there have been some positive developments in recent years. A National Backbone Network was completed in mid-2020, connecting administrative centres across the country, and in 2022 the length of the fibre network was increased by about 26%. A new infrastructure provider, Guinéenne de Fibre Optique, was licensed in March 2023 to provide interconnection services and fibre transport to operators on a wholesale basis, and this is expected to lead to reduced access prices for end-users. The government also secured a $60 million loan from the World Bank to improve internet infrastructure, which will help reduce the digital divide and improve network capacity.

In the mobile sector some changes could develop if MTN Group exits the market and sells its local unit to another telco. Guinea represents only a very small proportion of Group revenue, and the company has had a fallout with the regulator, which at the end of 2023 cited it for failing to pay dues and licence fees.

Key developments:

Orange Guinea deploys FDD Massive MIMO technology to boost network capacity by a third.
Sotelgui is rebranded as Guinee Telecom, hoping to relaunch services by end-2024 with the financial support of the African Development Bank.
Telecom regulator closes MTN Guinea’s headquarters in Conakry due to unpaid fees as the operator looks to sell its local unit.
Guinean coup leader dissolves the transition government.
Telecom regulator adopts a new strategic development plan for the period 2023-2025.
Report update includes the regulator's annual report for 2022, market data to September 2023, operator data to Q3 2023, updated Telecom Maturity Index charts and analyses, recent market developments.

Companies mentioned in this report:

Société des Télécommunications de Guinée (Sotelgui), Guinée Télécom, MTN (Areeba, Investcom), Orange (Spacetel), Intercel (Télécel Guinea), Cellcom Guinee, MiriNet (Afribone), ETI, Universal Communication (DiscoveryTel), Ristel, Afripa Telecom, Alternet Systems, Broad Telecom, Soguicis, Thucatel, Telekom Malaysia

Key statistics
Regional Africa Market Comparison

Market characteristics
Market Leaders
Market Challengers
Market Emergents
TMI vs GDP
Mobile and mobile broadband penetration
Fixed versus mobile broadband penetration

Country overview
Telecommunications market

Market analysis

Regulatory environment

Historical overview
Regulatory authority
Fixed-line developments

Privatisation
Monitoring platform

Mobile network developments

Roaming
SIM card registration

Mobile market

Market analysis
Mobile statistics
Major mobile operators

MTN Guinea (Areeba)
Sotelgui (Lagui)
Orange Guinea (formerly Spacetel Guinee)
Intercel Guinea (formerly Télécel Guinea)
Cellcom Guinea

Mobile infrastructure

LTE (4G)
3G
GPRS
Mobile satellite
Mobile data
Mobile broadband

Mobile content and applications

m-payments
m-health

Fixed-line broadband market

Introduction and statistical overview
Broadband subscribers
Fixed wireless (Wi-Fi and WiMAX)
Satellite broadband

Digital economy

SchoolWeb Wi-Fi Network

Fixed network operator

Guinée Télécom

Telecommunications infrastructure

Overview of the national telecom network
Telecentres
IXP
International infrastructure

Appendix – Historic data
Glossary of abbreviations
Related reports

List of Tables

Table 1 – Top Level Country Statistics and Telco Authorities - Guinea – 2024 (e)
Table 2 – Change in mobile market investment by operator (GNF billion) – 2016 – 2022
Table 3 – Growth in the number of mobile subscribers and penetration rate – 2012 – 2027
Table 4 – Change in the number of prepaid and contract subscribers (thousand) – 2012 – 2023
Table 5 – Development of mobile voice traffic – 2012 – 2023
Table 6 – Change in the share of mobile voice traffic by operator – 2015 – 2023
Table 7 – Change in the share of mobile voice traffic by technology – 2020 – 2023
Table 8 – Development of mobile sector revenue – 2012 – 2023
Table 9 – Mobile market revenue by operator (GNF billion) – 2012 – 2021
Table 10 – Mobile market share of revenue by operator – 2012 – 2023
Table 11 – Change in mobile ARPU – 2019 – 2023
Table 12 – Mobile market share of subscribers by operator – 2012 – 2023
Table 13 – Mobile coverage of administrative zones – 2019 – 2023
Table 14 – Mobile coverage of main towns by operator (capitals of prefectures/sub-prefectures covered) – 2012 – 2022
Table 15 – Change in the number of MTN Guinea’s mobile sites by technology – 2017 – 2023
Table 16 – Development of MTN Guinea’s financial data (ZAR million) – 2012 – 2023
Table 17 – Development of MTN Guinea’s financial data (GNF million) – 2016 – 2023
Table 18 – Change in the number of MTN Guinea’s mobile subscribers – 2012 – 2023
Table 19 – Change in the number of MTN Guinea’s mobile data subscribers – 2018 – 2023
Table 20 – Change in MTN Guinea’s mobile ARPU – 2012 – 2023
Table 21 – Change in MTN Guinea’s mobile ARPU (GNF) – 2018 – 2023
Table 22 – Growth in the number of Orange Guinea’s mobile subscribers – 2012 – 2023
Table 23 – Development of Orange Guinea’s revenue – 2012 – 2023
Table 24 – Change in the number of Cellcom’s mobile subscribers – 2012 – 2023
Table 25 – 3G mobile coverage of main towns by operator (capitals of prefectures/sub-prefectures covered) – 2014 – 2019
Table 26 – Share of mobile internet data traffic by operator – 2020 – 2023
Table 27 – Development of internet data traffic by technology (MB) – 2020 – 2023
Table 28 – Share of mobile internet data traffic by technology – 2021 – 2023
Table 29 – Change in SMS traffic – 2014 – 2023
Table 30 – Change in the proportion of SMS traffic by MNO – 2013 – 2023
Table 31 – Growth in the number of active mobile broadband subscribers and penetration – 2014 – 2027
Table 32 – Increase in the number of mobile internet users – 2012 – 2023
Table 33 – Change in the market share of mobile internet subscribers by operator – 2012 – 2023
Table 34 – Development of mobile and fixed-line internet revenue – 2020 – 2023
Table 35 – Increase in the number of m-money subscriptions and penetration – 2017 – 2023
Table 36 – Increase in the number of m-money subscriptions by operator (thousand) – 2017 – 2023
Table 37 – Development of m-money revenue – 2021 – 2023
Table 38 – Increase in the number of m-money transactions – 2021 – 2023
Table 39 – Growth in the number of fixed-line broadband subscribers – 2012 – 2023
Table 40 – Change in the market share of fixed broadband subscribers by ISP – 2020 – 2023
Table 41 – Development of fixed-line internet revenue and investment (GNF billion) – 2017 – 2023
Table 42 – Development of national fibre infrastructure – 2018 – 2022
Table 43 – Development of national fibre infrastructure by main provider (km) – 2018 – 2022
Table 44 – Development of infrastructure providers’ revenue – 2017 – 2022
Table 45 – Development of infrastructure investment by provider (GNF billion) – 2017 – 2022
Table 46 – Development of GUILAB’s internet capacity (Gb/s) – 2017 – 2022
Table 47 – Development of SOGEB’s internet capacity (Gb/s) – 2020 – 2022
Table 48 – Increase in international bandwidth – 2012 – 2019
Table 49 – Historic - Fixed-lines in service and teledensity – 1999 – 2011
Table 50 – Historic - Fixed-line voice traffic – 2010 – 2014
Table 51 – Historic - International bandwidth – 2006 – 2011
Table 52 – Historic - Fixed-line internet users and penetration rate – 1999 – 2015
Table 53 – Historic - Mobile subscribers and penetration rate – 1999 – 2011
Table 54 – Historic - Mobile internet connections (EDGE, GPRS, 3G) – 2010 – 2014
Table 55 – Historic - MTN Guinea mobile ARPU – 2006 – 2009
Table 56 – Historic - MTN Guinea subscribers – 2006 – 2011
Table 57 – Historic - Intercel mobile subscribers – 2013 – 2018

List of Charts

Chart 1 – Africa Telecoms Maturity Index – Market Leaders
Chart 2 – Africa – Market Leaders global ranking
Chart 3 – Africa Telecoms Maturity Index – Market Challengers
Chart 4 – Africa – Market Challengers global ranking
Chart 5 – Africa Telecoms Maturity Index – Market Emergents
Chart 6 – Africa – Market Emergents global ranking
Chart 7 – Africa – Telecoms Maturity Index vs GDP per capita
Chart 8 – Africa – Mobile subscriber penetration vs mobile broadband penetration
Chart 9 – Africa – Fixed and mobile broadband penetration
Chart 10 – Change in mobile market investment by operator (GNF billion) – 2016 – 2022
Chart 11 – Growth in the number of mobile subscribers and penetration rate – 2012 – 2027
Chart 12 – Change in the number of prepaid and contract subscribers – 2012 – 2023
Chart 13 – Development of mobile voice traffic – 2012 – 2023
Chart 14 – Change in the share of mobile voice traffic by operator – 2015 – 2021
Chart 15 – Change in the share of mobile voice traffic by technology – 2020 – 2023
Chart 16 – Development of mobile sector revenue – 2012 – 2023
Chart 17 – Mobile market revenue by operator – 2012 – 2023
Chart 18 – Mobile market share of revenue by operator – 2013 – 2023
Chart 19 – Mobile market share of subscribers by operator – 2012 – 2023
Chart 20 – Development of MTN Guinea’s financial data – 2012 – 2023
Chart 21 – Development of MTN Guinea’s financial data (GFN) – 2016 – 2023
Chart 22 – Change in the number of MTN Guinea’s mobile subscribers – 2012 – 2023
Chart 23 – Change in MTN Guinea’s mobile ARPU – 2012 – 2023
Chart 24 – Growth in the number of Orange Guinea’s mobile subscribers – 2012 – 2023
Chart 25 – Development of Orange Guinea’s revenue – 2012 – 2023
Chart 26 – Change in the number of Cellcom’s mobile subscribers – 2012 – 2023
Chart 27 – Share of mobile internet data traffic by operator – 2020 – 2023
Chart 28 – Development of internet data traffic by technology – 2020 – 2023
Chart 29 – Share of mobile internet data traffic by technology – 2021 – 2023
Chart 30 – Change in SMS traffic – 2014 – 2023
Chart 31 – Change in the proportion of SMS traffic by MNO – 2013 – 2023
Chart 32 – Growth in the number of active mobile broadband subscribers and penetration – 2014 – 2027
Chart 33 – Increase in the number of mobile internet users – 2012 – 2023
Chart 34 – Change in the market share of mobile internet subscribers by operator – 2012 – 2023
Chart 35 – Development of mobile and fixed-line internet revenue – 2020 – 2023
Chart 36 – Increase in the number of m-money subscriptions and penetration – 2017 – 2023
Chart 37 – Increase in the number of m-money subscriptions by operator (thousand) – 2017 – 2023
Chart 38 – Growth in the number of fixed-line broadband subscribers – 2012 – 2023
Chart 39 – Development of fixed-line internet revenue and investment (GNF billion) – 2017 – 2023
Chart 40 – Development of infrastructure investment by provider (GNF billion) – 2017 – 2022

List of Exhibits

Exhibit 1 – Map of Telecom Maturity Index global ranking among countries in Africa
Exhibit 2 – Generalised Market Characteristics by Market Segment
Exhibit 3 – Africa – Market Leaders and market developments
Exhibit 4 – Africa – Market Challengers and market developments
Exhibit 5 – Africa – Market Emergents and market developments
Exhibit 6 – Map of Guinea

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Guinea Telecoms Market Report

Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband - Statistics and Analyses

Purchase this Report

Guinea aiming to relaunch Guinée Télécom

Key developments:

Companies mentioned in this report:

Key statistics

Regional Africa Market Comparison

Country overview

Telecommunications market

Regulatory environment

Mobile market

Fixed-line broadband market

Digital economy

Fixed network operator

Telecommunications infrastructure

Appendix – Historic data

Glossary of abbreviations

Related reports

Purchase this Report

Share this Report

TMT Intelligence

A platform to scale your intelligence tasks

Research Methodology

Hot Topics

News & Views