Guinea Telecoms Market Report

Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband - Statistics and Analyses

Publication Date: December 2023

Report Pages: 123

Lead Analyst: Henry Lancaster

Contributing Analyst: Peter Lange

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Summary
Table Of Contents

Guinea sees sharp rise in mobile broadband traffic

Guinea’s telecom market is dominated by MTN and Orange. After the entry of these regional players, the number of mobile subscribers grew strongly while revenue also increased steadily. The debt-stricken incumbent fixed-line operator Sotelgui provided a mobile service until it was closed down in late 2012, following a long period of mismanagement. The company itself was declared bankrupt in 2013, and stopped operating The government since 2019 has sought to secure partners and investors to help launch a replacement operator, Guinea Telecom, but thus far with no success.

Fixed broadband services are still very limited and expensive, though there have been some positive developments in recent years. The landing of the first international submarine cable in 2012, and the setting up of an IXP in mid-2013, increased the bandwidth available to the ISPs, and helped reduce the cost of internet services for end-users. A National Backbone Network was completed in mid-2020, connecting administrative centres across the country. In practice, almost all internet connections are made via mobile networks. GSM services account for a dwindling proportion of connections, in line with the greater reach of services based on 3G and LTE.

Key developments:

Mobile broadband traffic increased 18.2% in the third quarter of 2021, quarter-on-quarter;
Regulator imposes SIM card registration rules, contracts GVG to develop a platform to monitor mobile and digital platforms in the county;
MTN Guinea pays $55 million to renew its mobile licences for ten years, effective from February 2022;
Guinea joins the free roaming initiative within ECOWAS countries;
National fibre backbone is completed;
M-money services gain strong customer take-up;
MTN signs management services contract with Huawei;
Report update includes the regulator's annual report for 2020, market data to September 2021, operator data to Q4 2021, updated Telecom Maturity Index charts and analyses, assessment of the global impact of the pandemic on the telecoms sector, recent market developments.

Companies mentioned in this report:

Société des Télécommunications de Guinée (Sotelgui), 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
Covid-19 and its impact on the telecom sector

Economic considerations and responses
Subscribers
Infrastructure

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

Sotelgui

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 – 2021 (e)
Table 2 – Mobile market investment by operator (GNF billion) – 2016 – 2020
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 – 2021
Table 5 – Development of mobile voice traffic – 2012 – 2021
Table 6 – Change in the share of mobile voice traffic by operator – 2015 – 2021
Table 7 – Development of mobile sector revenue – 2012 – 2021
Table 8 – Mobile market revenue by operator (GNF billion) – 2012 – 2021
Table 9 – Mobile market share of revenue by operator – 2012 – 2021
Table 10 – Mobile market share of subscribers by operator – 2012 – 2021
Table 11 – Mobile coverage of main towns by operator (capitals of prefectures/sub-prefectures covered) – 2012 – 2020
Table 12 – Development of MTN Guinea’s financial data (ZAR million) – 2012 – 2021
Table 13 – Development of MTN Guinea’s financial data (GNF million) – 2016 – 2021
Table 14 – Change in the number of MTN Guinea’s mobile subscribers – 2012 – 2021
Table 15 – Change in MTN Guinea’s mobile ARPU – 2012 – 2021
Table 16 – Growth in the number of Orange Guinea’s mobile subscribers – 2012 – 2021
Table 17 – Development of Orange Guinea’s revenue – 2012 – 2021
Table 18 – Change in the number of Cellcom’s mobile subscribers – 2012 – 2021
Table 19 – 3G mobile coverage of main towns by operator (capitals of prefectures/sub-prefectures covered) – 2014 – 2019
Table 20 – Change in SMS traffic – 2014 – 2021
Table 21 – Growth in the number of active mobile broadband subscribers and penetration – 2014 – 2027
Table 22 – Increase in the number of mobile internet users – 2012 – 2021
Table 23 – Mobile internet market share by operator – 2012 – 2021
Table 24 – Mobile money subscriptions by operator (thousand) – 2017 – 2021
Table 25 – Growth in the number of fixed-line broadband subscribers – 2012 – 2023
Table 26 – Development of fixed-line internet revenue – 2017 – 2020
Table 27 – Development of GUILAB’s revenue – 2017 – 2020
Table 28 – Development of GUILAB’s internet capacity (Gb/s) – 2017 – 2020
Table 29 – Increase in international bandwidth – 2012 – 2019
Table 30 – Historic - Fixed-lines in service and teledensity – 1999 – 2011
Table 31 – Historic - Fixed-line voice traffic – 2010 – 2014
Table 32 – Historic - International bandwidth – 2006 – 2011
Table 33 – Historic - Fixed-line internet users and penetration rate – 1999 – 2015
Table 34 – Historic - Mobile subscribers and penetration rate – 1999 – 2011
Table 35 – Historic - Mobile internet connections (EDGE, GPRS, 3G) – 2010 – 2014
Table 36 – Historic - MTN Guinea mobile ARPU – 2006 – 2009
Table 37 – Historic - MTN Guinea subscribers – 2006 – 2011
Table 38 – 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 – Growth in the number of mobile subscribers and penetration rate – 2012 – 2027
Chart 11 – Development of mobile voice traffic – 2012 – 2021
Chart 12 – Change in the share of mobile voice traffic by operator – 2015 – 2021
Chart 13 – Development of mobile sector revenue – 2012 – 2021
Chart 14 – Mobile market revenue by operator – 2012 – 2021
Chart 15 – Mobile market share of revenue by operator – 2013 – 2021
Chart 16 – Mobile market share of subscribers by operator – 2012 – 2021
Chart 17 – Development of MTN Guinea’s financial data – 2012 – 2021
Chart 18 – Development of MTN Guinea’s financial data (GFN) – 2016 – 2021
Chart 19 – Change in the number of MTN Guinea’s mobile subscribers – 2012 – 2021
Chart 20 – Change in MTN Guinea’s mobile ARPU – 2012 – 2021
Chart 21 – Growth in the number of Orange Guinea’s mobile subscribers – 2012 – 2021
Chart 22 – Development of Orange Guinea’s revenue – 2012 – 2021
Chart 23 – Change in the number of Cellcom’s mobile subscribers – 2012 – 2021
Chart 24 – Change in SMS traffic – 2014 – 2021
Chart 25 – Growth in the number of active mobile broadband subscribers and penetration – 2014 – 2027
Chart 26 – Increase in the number of mobile internet users – 2012 – 2021
Chart 27 – Mobile internet market share by operator – 2012 – 2021
Chart 28 – Mobile money subscriptions by operator – 2017 – 2021
Chart 29 – Growth in the number of fixed-line broadband subscribers – 2012 – 2023

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 sees sharp rise in mobile broadband traffic

Key developments:

Companies mentioned in this report:

Key statistics

Regional Africa Market Comparison

Country overview

Covid-19 and its impact on the telecom sector

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