Madagascar’s Operators Push Ahead in the Race for Connectivity

According to GSMA Intelligence, Madagascar had around 18.2 million active cellular mobile connections at the start of 2025. It’s worth noting that many people use more than one SIM or subscription, so mobile connection counts often surpass the number of individuals in the country. Someone might carry one line for personal calls and another for work, and the growing availability of eSIMs has made juggling multiple connections even easier.

In Madagascar, however, the total number of mobile lines has not yet overtaken the population itself. GSMA estimates show that in January 2025, active connections were equivalent to 56.2% of the country’s population.

The market has still been growing at a healthy pace. Between early 2024 and early 2025, the total number of connections rose by 1.4 mil, an increase of 8.5% year on year.

Most of these lines are already broadband-capable. GSMA’s data suggests that 84.6% of connections now run on 3G, 4G, or 5G networks. That doesn’t necessarily mean all of them are used for mobile internet, though, since some subscriptions provide only voice and SMS services.

The leading mobile operators in Madagascar are Telma (Yas), Airtel, and Orange. Market shares are Yas about 50%, Orange about 30%, Airtel about 7%, and SpaceX Starlink around 10% of Madagascar’s internet market as of 2024–2025.

As of early 2025, about 6.6 million Malagasy were online, roughly 20.4% of the population, leaving about 25.8 million people offline. 4G coverage reaches roughly 71% of the population, while overall mobile signal availability sits around 92%.

The market is highly concentrated, but rivalry among the major players is pushing network upgrades. The recent entry of satellite provider Starlink is also intensifying competition, particularly for internet access in underserved areas.

Yas, previously known as Telma Madagascar until its rebranding in late November 2024, is the long-standing market leader in Madagascar’s mobile telecom sector with approximately 5 million mobile subscribers.

In mid-2020, Yas made history by launching Africa’s first commercial 5G service in Antananarivo and Toamasina, in partnership with Ericsson. but broader rollout remains limited with only about 7% of the population having 5G access by 2025. Although the regulator ARTEC later raised technical and permission issues that temporarily delayed further 5G expansion, Yas continues to invest in its core network and fibre infrastructure, positioning itself for future advanced mobile deployments.

Airtel Madagascar is firmly positioned in second place in subscriber count, with around 4.9 million users. 

In May 2025, the company secured a forward-looking 15-year global operating license valued at $32.5 million, reinforcing its commitment to long-term infrastructure development and service expansion. In 2021, Airtel divested its passive tower infrastructure in Madagascar to Helios Towers for about $52 million, using the proceeds to reduce debt and fund improvements in its network and sales footprint. While Airtel has not publicly announced a 5G rollout plan, its strategic investments indicate reparatory groundwork for the future market shift.

Orange Madagascar holds the third-largest share of mobile subscriptions, trailing behind Yas and Airtel, with around 3.3 million customers.

In December 2023, Orange secured a €30 million comprehensive global license that empowers it to deliver services across multiple platforms, including mobile, fixed, satellite, and fiber networks. The agreement involves the deployment of up to 500 rural networking telecommunication sites under the NaaS business model in the east coast of Madagascar.

The operator planned to boost its population coverage from approximately 56 percent to 90 percent by the end of 2024, supported by a multilayered rollout of 500 new rural base stations through partnerships with NuRAN Wireless and AMN under a Network-as-a-Service model. Whether they have been successful is yet to be conformed. 

Although Orange has not yet launched full commercial 5G, it opened a local 5G Lab in September 2023 to showcase 5G technology and support co-innovations with businesses and developers.

Madagascar’s internet sector is entering a period of rapid change. Long hampered by limited coverage and fragile infrastructure, the country is now seeing fresh investment and new technologies that promise to narrow its digital divide. Mobile networks are steadily reaching deeper into rural regions, while the arrival of satellite services such as Starlink adds another layer of connectivity. Together, these shifts are setting the stage for what many describe as an internet revolution.

Currently Yas remains the dominant operator with pioneering 5G credentials. Orange is accelerating coverage expansion and pioneering 5G exploration through its innovation lab. Airtel is strengthening its position with strategic licensing and infrastructure reinvestments. For consumers in Madagascar, the immediate benefit continues to lie in improving 4G performance and wider coverage, while next-generation 5G adoption unfolds gradually.

Related Posts: 

• Operator Watch Blog: Madagascar gets 5G but 2G, 3G & 4G coverage still very patchy 

Moldova's Telecom Evolution: From Legacy Networks to 5G Futures

Moldova, a small Eastern European nation, has developed a robust telecommunications sector, achieving extensive coverage in both wired and wireless communications. The country's compact size has facilitated the rapid expansion of mobile networks, ensuring that even remote areas have access to telephony services.

Data from GSMA Intelligence shows that there were 4.24 million cellular mobile connections in Moldova at the start of 2024. However, note that many people around the world make use of more than one mobile connection – for example, they might have one connection for personal use, and another one for work – so it’s not unusual for mobile connection figures to significantly exceed figures for total population.

GSMA Intelligence’s numbers indicate that mobile connections in Moldova were equivalent to 125.8 percent of the total population in January 2024. The number of mobile connections in Moldova increased by 946 (+0.02 percent) between the start of 2023 and the start of 2024.

Despite a wave of 3G shutdowns across Europe, many users continue to rely heavily on legacy 3G and 2G networks. These outdated technologies present unique challenges for operators and regulators seeking to modernize infrastructure while minimizing user disruption. According to OpenSignal Moldova has the highest Time on 2G/3G networks. 

Moldova’s telecom market is primarily dominated by three key players: Moldcell, Orange, and Moldtelecom.

Orange Moldova is a subsidiary of the French telecommunications company Orange and offers a wide range of mobile services.

According to nPerf Orange has emerged as a co-leader in 2024, with exceptional performance in Download bitrate and Latency, marking it as a key player in these categories. The operator also leads in Browsing, showcasing its robust capabilities in providing a seamless user experience. Orange has made substantial contributions to the market’s competitive landscape.

Established in 2000, Moldcell has been a prominent player in Moldova's mobile industry. In April 2024, marking its 24th anniversary.

Moldcell has solidified its position as a co-leader with a notable improvement in its overall score. The operator leads in Upload bitrate and shines in Video streaming, demonstrating its strength in these areas. Moldcell also maintains a strong focus on 4G, where it is the undisputed leader. Users benefit from enhanced streaming and upload capabilities, making it ideal for content creators and heavy data users.

Operating since 2007, Moldtelecom, may not be a market leader but is gaining ground and has a reliable network. 

Currently, all operators have isolated pockets of 5G coverage. However, with ANRCETI launching an auction in October 2024 for spectrum across 700 MHz, 900 MHz, 1500 MHz, 2300 MHz, 2600 MHz, 3600 MHz, and 26 GHz bands, the introduction of 5G in these frequencies is set to significantly enhance the user experience.

Namibia's Digital Transformation Journey Continues Unabated

Namibia, with its vast landscapes and scattered population, presents unique challenges for mobile operators. As of 2024, the mobile sector in Namibia has continued to grow steadily, with increasing investment in infrastructure, wider network coverage, and improved service offerings.

According to GSMA Intelligence, Namibia had 2.91 million mobile connections at the beginning of 2024. However, it's important to note that many people globally use multiple mobile connections—one for personal use and another for work, for instance—so it's common for the number of connections to surpass the total population. GSMA Intelligence data shows that, as of January 2024, mobile connections in Namibia equalled 110.8% of the population. This represents a decrease of 18,000 connections (or -0.6%) from the start of 2023 to the start of 2024.

The major players in Namibia's mobile telecommunications sector are Mobile Telecommunications Limited (MTC) and Telecom Namibia, with other operators like Paratus offering specialized services. MTC’s market share in subscriber terms was 82% at the end of 2023 and Telecom Namibia at 17%. Paratus does not yet have a significant number of wireless subscribers, only 0.3%.

Mobile network coverage continues to increase across the country, with the regulator having urged the MNOs to focus investment in rural areas and thus support the government’s broadband coverage targets. The government in late 2023 lifted its moratorium against 5G deployments and the regulator followed by completing an auction of 5G-suitable spectrum in the 700MHz range. MTC began trialling 5G at the end of the year, while the regulator launched a campaign to educate the public about the benefits of 5G while dispelling the misinformation about the technology which had stalled its adoption earlier.

MTC is the first mobile phone provider with the most customers in Namibia and a pretty good coverage. It's the recommended network for travellers.  

MTC has retained its dominant position in Namibia's mobile telecom market, holding an estimated 84% market share, covering 98% of the population, and serving a customer base of 2.17 million, according to managing director Licky Erastus. The company has also aggressively expanded into the internet and fixed-line broadband market, achieving a 115% increase in revenue growth.

MTC's network now consists of 1,014 active sites, with 70% of these sites 4G-enabled, handling 50% of the company’s mobile data traffic.

Erastus noted that MTC initiatives continue to ensure that rural Namibians have access to the same mobile broadband experience as those in urban areas. In 2023, MTC upgraded 97 rural sites, 67 of which were equipped with refarmed spectrum to support 4G/LTE technology.

MTC and Huawei Technologies have held the country's first 5G technology demonstration in Windhoek after the government lifted a moratorium on 5G and allocated spectrum to telecom providers.

Minister of ICT, Emma Theofelus, hailed the event as a milestone for Namibia, emphasizing the importance of adopting advanced technology for national development. "This trial marks Namibia's commitment to leveraging technology for progress," she said, highlighting 5G's role in enabling e-governance, e-commerce, and e-health through faster connectivity. Huawei has previously partnered with MTC to bring 3G, 4G, and 4.5G technologies to Namibia.

Telecom Namibia Limited is the national telecommunications operator, established in August 1992 and wholly owned by the Government of the Republic of Namibia. Telecom Namibia is serving more than 619,000 (fixed and mobile) customers and annual revenue of more than N$ 1,4 Billion. Telecom Namibia runs the largest Digital Telecommunication Network in Namibia. The company is a leading supplier of voice, text, data and video solutions.

Telecom Namibia has entered into a five-year partnership with Huawei Technologies Namibia, aiming to enhance its mobile network capabilities and coverage nationwide. This collaboration is part of Telecom Namibia's Integrated Strategic Business Plan (ISBP) 2027, which outlines plans to invest in modernizing and expanding the TN mobile network. The initiative includes the deployment of new mobile base stations and upgrading existing ones across the country. Under the agreement, Telecom Namibia will acquire advanced mobile radio access equipment from Huawei to boost network capacity and coverage, particularly in underserved areas. This partnership will support the rollout of cutting-edge mobile technologies such as 4G, 4.5G, and 5G, providing consumers with faster, more reliable mobile broadband services.

Paratus Telecom holds licenses for 4G/LTE on band 3 (1800 MHz) in Windhoek and refarms its old WIMAX customers to 2600 TD-LTE (Band 38). It boast with the lowest prices for data in the country, but its network is limited to 4G/LTE.

Paratus is currently serving over 700 commercial and business customers across Namibia and quickly expanding into the residential and small business markets.  Additionally, Paratus is also now peering with four national and eight international interconnect operators to provide global calling plans.

The mobile telecommunications sector in Namibia is at an exciting phase, with major operators like MTC and Telecom Namibia leading the charge toward a more connected and digital future. However, significant challenges remain in terms of affordability, rural access, and staying competitive in the rapidly changing technological landscape. Despite these hurdles, the future looks bright, with a clear focus on innovation and expanding services to meet the needs of the entire population.

Namibia's journey to becoming a fully connected society will depend on sustained investment, collaboration between private and public sectors, and the continual evolution of mobile technology.

Related Posts: 

• The 3G4G Blog: 4G/LTE, 5G and Private Networks in Africa
• Operator Watch Blog: Data Usage Growing in Namibia but No 5G Please 

New Caledonia to Shutdown 2G and Launch 5G while Relying on 3G & 4G

New Caledonia, situated in the Southern Pacific, is a unique collectivity of France. A French collectivity is a territory that is governed by the French Constitution and has its own local government and regulatory authority. It operates independently from the European Union, exempting it from EU roaming regulations. As a result, international providers typically impose high roaming charges for usage within New Caledonia. Even French providers treat New Caledonia as an overseas destination, akin to certain other French overseas territories. Despite this, the archipelago boasts a robust telecommunications infrastructure, ensuring both residents and visitors have access to a diverse range of mobile services.

OPT-NC dominates New Caledonia's telecommunications landscape, holding a monopoly over fixed and mobile voice services, mobile internet, fixed broadband access, and wholesale services for other internet service providers.

The nation benefits from extensive 3G and LTE networks, contributing to one of the highest highest smartphone adoption rates in the Pacific region. Projections indicate that smartphone penetration will rise to 71% by 2025.

Mobile services operate on various frequencies depending on the location within the country: 2G operates on 900 MHz, while 3G operates on 900 MHz in rural areas and 2100 MHz in urban centers. 4G/LTE operates on 800, 1800, and 2100 MHz (bands 1, 3, 20).

L’Office des Postes et Télécommunications de Nouvelle-Calédonie (OPT-NC) stands as the exclusive operator, a public enterprise established in 2003. Its services encompass banking, postal, and telecommunications provisions, including landline, ADSL, and mobile phone services.

The 2G network is being phased out since 2022 and will cease to exist on 1st Jan 2025. The press release explains (translated from French):

OPT-NC has stopped deploying new 2G sites since 2019 and has been gradually shutting down the technology since the beginning of 2022 on sites in urban areas. The final shutdown is planned for 2025.

To confirm the definitive end of 2G technology, OPT-NC supports its customers by:

• Extending homogeneous 3G/4G coverage to the current 2G coverage; 
• Densifying the dimensioning of the mobile network so as to be able to properly absorb traffic;
• Deploying cellular Internet of Things (IoT) technologies, namely:
• the NB-IoT which will serve uses such as smart metering, smart city, smart agriculture;
• the CAT-M1 which is a network capable of responding to complex issues, mobility or real time. It will provide the same level of service as 2G for uses such as vehicle tracking.

OPT, in conjunction with the government of New Caledonia, is progressing with the implementation of private 5G networks. Earlier this year marked the initial stride toward integrating "private 5G" networks into industrial sectors within New Caledonia.

Olivier Amat, the director of telecommunications at OPT, elucidated the organization's strategy strategy regarding 5G. He recounted the evolution from 2G to 4G before delving into the potentials of 5G: "With speeds of up to 10Gbps, support for up to 100 times more connected devices per coverage area, a service life of up to 10 years for low-power IoT device batteries, 99.999% availability, 5 milliseconds latency, and 100% coverage." This progression serves as a testament to the advancements, leaving the limitations of 4G behind. Following some technical and tactical intricacies along with "ergotical" definitions, Olivier disclosed plans for local deployment of the technology, culminating with a compelling statistic: on average, each individual now consumes twice as much data in a single week as they did throughout the entirety of 2010.

Meanwhile Google is trying to make inroads into New Caledonia, due to its strategic geography in the Indo-Pacific region, where China and the US are waging a battle of influence over subsea internet cables.

French authorities recently said they had lifted a ban ban in New Caledonia on TikTok, which they suspect of fuelling recent unrest in the French Pacific territory. The government believes the app was being used by those opposed to French rule to communicate and organise violent protests.

North Korea Finally Adopts 4G/LTE

Following years of continued isolationism and economic under-achievement, North Korea languishes near the bottom of the world’s telecom maturity index alongside Afghanistan and Turkmenistan (who also happen to be struggling under repressive political regimes). To make matters worse, in 2022 North Korea achieved the lowest score in the world for economic freedom. It barely needs saying that developing a healthy and prosperous telecommunications sector isn’t exactly high on the dictatorship’s agenda.

Mobile penetration is estimated to have eased up slightly to have reached 19% in 2021, yet the high cost of ownership coupled with strict censorship makes mobile communications the exclusive domain of senior government officials and diplomats.

Data from GSMA Intelligence shows that there were 7.51 million cellular mobile connections in North Korea at the start of 2024. However, note that many people around the world make use of more than one mobile connection – for example, they might have one connection for personal use, and another one for work – so it’s not unusual for mobile connection figures to significantly exceed figures for total population.

GSMA Intelligence’s numbers indicate that mobile connections in North Korea were equivalent to 28.7 percent of the total population in January 2024. The number of mobile connections in North Korea increased by 206 thousand (+2.8 percent) between the start of 2023 and the start of 2024.

For those citizens living close to China, it has been possible to obtain Chinese handsets and SIM cards, and to connect to towers (illegally) located just across the border. While this offers access to the outside world and at much lower prices than the state-controlled offerings, the risks are high including steep fines and the possibility of jail time.

North Korea has been slightly more effective in building an IT sector and a nascent digital economy on the back of a concerted effort to grow a sizeable, well-trained IT workforce. But even here, its capabilities have been directed more towards nefarious activities such as cybercrime and hacking into Western countries’ computer systems. North Korea’s determination to put itself offside with the rest of the world in pursuit of its ideology can only lead to tighter controls on communications inside and outside of the country.

North Korea has a population of 26.2 million and currently has three 3G network operators. Koryolink's network is 3G-only on 2100 MHz and they claim to cover more 90% of the population by their 3G network that can't be independently verfied. Koryolink is officially a joint venture between Egyptian Orascom Investment Holding and the North Korean state. However the Government of North Korea refused permission to transfer profits from North Korea to Orascom and even started Kang Song Net and Byol to compete with Koryolink. As result Orascom reported, that it effectively has lost control over Koryolink's activities some years ago.

North Korea launched the third mobile service provider called Byol in 2015. In the early days, the government-owned company provided wired Internet connections to foreigners residing in Pyongyang. But its 3G mobile service is now used by officials in the party, the government and the military as well as general citizens. The authorities set up the third telecom company, after Kang Song Net, to keep Koryolink in check. While Koryolink offers services both to foreigners and local citizens, Kang Song Net and Byol can only be used by North Korean residents. 

GSMA Intelligence data showed Byol closed 2023 with 7.1 million 3G connections and Koryolink 400,000. The research unit estimated only 28.3 per cent of the population has a mobile connection, all prepaid and only a quarter with smartphones. In 2023, the annual growth rate of mobile connections was less than 3 per cent. Smartphone connections grew nearly 12 per cent to 1.9 million.

North Korea’s two-tier telephone network is well documented and classifies two types of subscribers: Domestic users can call other domestic subscribers but not place international calls or access the internet, while international users can make calls to anywhere in the world except domestic numbers and access just about any website except those on the state intranet. This firewall between domestic and international users is one of several methods used to control the flow of information. What is less known is that on Koryolink there is a third level of subscriber: the “special user.”

The special users obviously the top rank of the leadership. These users are able to make and receive calls on specially equipped handsets that includes a domestic encryption system that prevents eavesdropping by outsiders. Huawei, one of the world’s biggest telecom infrastructure suppliers, provided much of the network equipment and was tasked with verifying that the encryption system did not introduce instability into the network.

However more cell phones does not necessarily mean more freedom of information and communication. In the years following the launch, even greater security measures were developed to expand control systems beyond the network level to the handset level as well. For instance, smartphones were built to block the installation of unapproved apps, and software was installed to take random screenshots to record what people are doing on their phones. This security system one of the most surveilled cellular environments in the world.

North Korean authorities have started signing up 4G subscribers after the country upgraded its network with second-hand telecommunications equipment bought mainly from China's Huawei.

According to local news site Daily NK, authorities have completed the construction of 4G cell towers in some areas of the country – with the goal of constructing over 80% of planned cell towers by 2025. Currently, 4G services are available mostly in the central districts of the capital, Pyongyang.

The Status of Mobile Networks in Latin America

The Global mobile Suppliers Association (GSA) represents the voice of the mobile ecosystem with members including vendors, operators, academia and regulators. GSA has nine Executive Members, including Apple, Ericsson, Huawei, MediaTek, Nokia, Intel, Qualcomm, Samsung and ZTE. With a further 80+ Members and Associates, GSA draws its membership from across the global mobile ecosystem, including mobile operators, regulators, analyst firms, academia and an extensive vendor community spanning chipsets to devices, and network equipment to FWA and private mobile specialists. GSA is a Market Representation Partner in 3GPP and co-operates with other key organisations including ITU, GCF, CITEL, COAI, ETSI, GSMA, CEPT-ECC, ATU, and other regional regulatory bodies.

The first GSA report closely tracking the status of 4G and 5G network deployment in Latin America was published earlier this month. It uses the latest GSA data and draws on various GSA reports, including private mobile networks, to provide a comprehensive overview of the status of 4G and 5G roll-outs in the region. Quoting from the paper summary:

In recent years, Latin America has witnessed significant advancements in telecommunications technology, particularly in mobile networks. The proliferation of 4G LTE networks has transformed the digital landscape, enabling faster data speeds, enhanced connectivity and the widespread adoption of mobile broadband services across the region. Moreover, the advent of 5G technology promises to usher in a new era of connectivity, characterized by ultrafast speeds, low latency and greater security.

This report delves into various aspects of mobile network evolution including the status of LTE, the roll-out of 5G networks, advancements in LTE-Advanced, the emergence of 5G standalone infrastructure, the development of private networks and the switch-off of 2G and 3G technologies.

You can download the paper from this page here.

In this regional spotlight webinar, the GSA Research team was joined by senior representatives from telecom regulators, including Alejandro Navarrete, Head of the Radioelectric Spectrum Unit at IFT and ANATEL’s Deputy Superintendent of Granting and Resources, Mr Sidney Azeredo, to explore the challenges and opportunities for 5G in the region. During the webinar, the GSA Research team shared the latest data on:

• The status of LTE and 5G in the region
• Private Networks in LATAM
• Spectrum assignments, both recently completed and upcoming

Following the data snapshot is a roundtable discussion with regulators where the panel explores the market dynamics and what the future holds for 4G and 5G in their markets. The webinar is embedded below:

Türkiye is Still Waiting for 5G but 4.5G (LTE-Advanced) is Working Great

Couple of years back, Turkey officially changed its name to Türkiye and as such we will refer to them by their new name. 

Türkiye continues to develop its capabilities within its telecom sector, becoming one of the relatively few countries able to build and develop its own communications satellites. With the successful launch of the Turksat 5A and 5B satellites in 2021, the country has vastly increased its bandwidth capacity. These satellites will be joined by the Turksat 6A in early 2023.

In addition to these technological breakthroughs, the country’s operators have invested in fibre infrastructure, with Vodafone Türkiye having trialled a 1Tb/s service in late 2021 to support its 5G network backhaul and improve the quality of its fixed infrastructure.

Deployment of fibre-based broadband networks are well established, with fibre accounting for 26.7% of all fixed broadband connections as of early 2022. The DSL sector still dominates, accounting for about 63% of connections, but its share is steadily declining, year-on-year, while the number of fibre connections has grown strongly.

Improved fixed and mobile infrastructure is underpinning the country’s initiatives relating to Smart City concepts, which have become a key area of focus for the emerging digital economy and the transformation to a knowledge-based economy. Türkiye's National Smart Cities Strategy and Action Plan runs through to 2023.

There are three network operators in Türkiye : Turkcell, Vodafone and Türk Telekom (formerly called Avea).  

In 2015 the Turkish regulator auctioned off licenses on 800, 900, 1800, 2100 and 2600 MHz bands for 4G/LTE (Bands 3, 8, 1 and 20) . All three providers launched 4G/LTE in 2016. It has been marketed from the start as "4.5G", otherwise known as LTE+ or LTE Advanced, accelerated by carrier aggregation where available in major cities in all 81 provinces from the start. Coverage is generally quite good: Turkcell has the best, followed by Vodafone and Türk Telecom with the least.

The Turkish Government sought to be an early adopter of 5G, but plans have stalled and 5G spectrum has not even been auctioned at the time of writing this blog. European Commission's Türkiye 2023 Report notes that there was no progress reported in the procurement of 5G. Türkiye still needs to allocate additional frequencies for the development and predictability of the sector. In 2022, 94.1% of households had access to the internet, increasing from 92% the previous year.

In Opensignal's latest Türkiye Mobile Network Experience report, Turkcell wins five awards outright out of eight recognitions available, it retains both speed awards and Video Experience, while it also claims two newly introduced awards Live Video Experience and Coverage Experience. Türk Telekom turns two joint wins for Games Experience and Availability into outright victories, as Turkcell slips off the podium for both of these metrics. On top of these two wins, Türk Telekom is the sole recipient of Consistent Quality. For the third time in a row, Vodafone wins no awards, either outright or jointly.

Turkcell is the biggest operator in the country with the best coverage nationwide. 2G is on 900 MHz, 3G on 2100 MHz. In 2015 Turkcell’s population coverage was at 99.8% in 2G and 95% in 3G.

Turkcell launched their "4.5G" LTE in 2016 using tri-band aggregation of 800, 1800 and 2600 MHz frequency bands. 4G/LTE is free to prepaid. Turkcell is known to have the best coverage in the countryside.  

According to Statista, as of the second quarter of 2022, Turkcell’s mobile business had a market share of 41.3%, ahead of Vodafone at 30.4 %, and Turk Telecom at 28.3%. According to the company’s own figures, it had 42 million subscribers across fixed and mobile in Q2 2023; the mobile subscriber base reached 37.6 million in the same quarter.

In 2016 Türk Telekom rebranded its mobile network from Avea, but you see their old sign still sometimes. It's the smallest provider in Turkey in terms of coverage, but they have still good speeds in the cities and a fair coverage in the countryside.

2G is on 900 and 1800 MHz, 3G on 2100 MHz, 4G/LTE was launched in 2016. It still has the lowest coverage in the countryside, but is strong in cities.  

Türk Telekom serves more than 15 million broadband and 25.6 million mobile subscribers. As the company plays a critical role in leading Turkey's digital transformation, they sought to modernize their infrastructure supporting business-critical systems, including core billing and charging applications and databases.

Vodafone is the 2nd operator in terms of coverage. 2G on 900 MHz, 3G on 2100 MHz, 4G/LTE was launched in 2016. It has a good coverage in the country, slightly worse than Turkcell, but better than Türk Telekom.

The number of Vodafone Turkiye's mobile subscribers reached 25.4 million, by November 2023, the total number of mobile subscribers including M2M (Machine Inter-Machine Communication) reached 29.3 million . The company increased the number of postpaid subscribers to 19.1 million. While having 1.4 million fixed broadband subscribers.

Related Posts: 

• Operator Watch Blog: 5G Development Strategy & Plan of Turk Telekom
• Operator Watch Blog: Turkey Plans 5G Rollouts in 2021 with Demand Expected from 2022 Onwards
• Telecoms Infrastructure Blog: Turkcell Marks a 'First in the World in 5G' with Domestic Drone Technology
• Operator Watch Blog: Turkcell Group in 5 slides
• The 3G4G Blog: 4G / LTE by stealth 

4.5G Coverage is Good Enough for Comoros

The Union of the Comoros, an archipelago off Africa’s east coast with high levels of poverty, sought to improve communications, trade, and economic opportunities by expanding mobile communications and internet services. With support from the World Bank Group, the government liberalized the telecommunications sector, held an international tender, and awarded a second telecoms license. Through competition, Comoros now has better quality and cheaper telecoms services, as well as broader coverage. In a country with scarce government resources, the World Bank’s $32 million has made a substantial contribution by leveraging over $90 million in telecoms licensing fees and infrastructure investment.

Comoros has 2 mobile operators: Huri by Comoros Telecom (Comores Telecom) and Telma Comoros (Telma Comores). Both operators have 2G, 3G, and 4G/LTE networks. The following frequencies are used by the Comorian operators: 2G: 900 MHz, 3G: 900 MHz and 4G/LTE: 800 MHz (Band 20).

Until 2016 Comores Telecom (Comtel) was the sole provider of wireless, broadband and fixed line services on Comoros. Mobile services started in 2003 when Comtel launched a GSM-900 network under the brand name HURI.

2G started as late as 2002 and SIM cards were $100 at the beginning. 3G services started in 2013. Mobile penetration remained low in the Comoros. Many users were dissatisfied with Comtel's bad service and high prices while it had a monopoly. In 2018 they had to slash prices because of their new competitor.

Launching ceremony of the 4.5G network of #ComoresTélécom this morning at the head office #Comores #Telecom. As a reminder, the are two telecommunications operators (#Telma and #ComorosTélécom) and both of them are covering athe country with a wide 4G and 4.5G networks pic.twitter.com/JlDWsTJ1FC

— Yasser Mze Said (@YasserMze) July 17, 2018

From July 2018 they started to advertise with a "4.5G" network, so 4G/LTE seems to have be started on unknown frequencies (probably bands 20 and 3).

Telma Comoros, officially known as Telma Comores but will be referred to as just “Telma,” was awarded a license in 2015 to bring competition in the Comorian telecom market. They are an operator from Madagascar where they operate as Telma Malagasy. 

The launch of Telma Comores has expanded mobile services in Comoros, giving people high quality 4G LTE mobile broadband technology at lower prices. In response to this competition, Comores Télécoms has launched an even faster 4.5G network. By 2018, mobile broadband subscriptions rose to 58 per 100 inhabitants, and coverage is on track to provide all citizens with broadband mobile phone and inter- net services by 2030.

Telma doesn't block VoIP providers like Skype or WhatsApp calls. They also feature very cheap calls to neighboring French Mayotte. They might be the smarter alternative, once they have full coverage now. At least they brought the incumbent to cut prices.

Grenada is Slowly Progressing Towards High Speed 4G

Grenada is an island country consisting of Grenada itself and six smaller islands in the southeastern Caribbean. It's located northwest of Trinidad and Tobago, northeast of Venezuela, and southwest of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. About 126,000 inhabitants live on 348.5 km2 area.

Like on many Caribbean Islands there are these two usual providers: Digicel Grenada and Flow (by Cable & Wireless). Flow is the incumbent provider and Digicel came to the Caribbean 2001-6 to end this monopoly and has since become market leader in Grenada by aggressive marketing.

2G is on European bands while 3G is on US bands. Both operators have 2G/GSM on 900 and 1800 MHz. For 3G Flow uses 850 MHz (CLR band 5) while Digicel employs 1900 MHz (PCS band 2). 

Digicel Grenada, launched commercial 700MHz LTE network services in December 2018.

Flow addressed widespread criticism over the quality of its fixed broadband services by announcing it has spent XCD15 million (USD5.6 million) to provide faster web browsing for its subscriber base. As a result, they have been able to increase speeds from 15Mbps to 50Mbps, putting the country ‘on par’ with many developing nations.

Recently Grenadians have become more and more dissatisfied with the services provided by FLOW and Digicel. Many customers have reported losing money due to various reasons, including sudden deactivation of their numbers despite having substantial account balances. This issue raises significant concerns regarding transparency and accountability within these companies. Additionally, the quality of telephone and internet services provided by both FLOW and Digicel has been deemed unacceptable by many customers, particularly in rural areas where Flow Landline and broadband services have experienced prolonged outages.

In light of these failings, it is imperative that the National Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (NTRC) in Grenada takes proactive measures to ensure that these companies meet accepted standards. If the NTRC fails to fulfill its responsibilities, it may be necessary for the government to intervene by considering potential changes in board membership.

Belize Mobile Operators Have Many Challenges and No Plans for 5G

One of the smaller countries in Central America, Belize in many respects has closer ties to English speaking countries of the Caribbean than with its immediate neighbours. Prior to independence, Belize had been a British colony since 1862, only changing its name to Belize from British Honduras in 1973.

In Belize, the telecommunications market is predominantly served by two major mobile operators: Belize Telemedia Limited (BTL) is a government-owned telecommunications company that provides mobile, landline, and internet services and operates as Digi (formerly DigiCell). It has a significant market share and has invested in expanding its infrastructure and services. The second operator is SpeedNet Communications operating under the brand "Smart," is the primary competitor to BTL. It offers mobile and internet services, providing consumers with choices in the market.

GSM users don't have much choice as the only GSM-based operator in the country used to be Digi (DigiCell). 2G/EDGE is on 1900 MHz and 3G/HSPA which is still marketed as "4G" is on 850 MHz. Real 4G/LTE started in 2016 on Digi and Smart! on the 700 (B13) and 1900 (B2) MHz bands. Smart! has become an alternative soon as it's moved from CDMA to 3G on 850 MHz.

Belize’s fixed-line teledensity and mobile penetration remain lower than average for the region, a legacy of insufficient market competition and underinvestment in telecoms services, exacerbated by lax managerial standards within the incumbent operator Digi. 

However, Digi has recently adopted a reforming strategy, partly expressed by its rebranding in August 2018 as it aims to transform itself at all levels into an effectively competitive operator more commercially minded and focussed on cheaper pricing and customer retention. The company has undertaken significant investment in infrastructure, launching an LTE-A service at the end of 2016 and in mid-2017 completing a submarine cable to Ambergris Caye, enabling it to launch an FttP service in San Pedro. Loans secured since 2017 enabled the company to migrate its infrastructure from legacy copper to fibre. BTL invested BZ$93 million dollars to provide high speed broadband to 80% of residences across Belize.

Digi has provided fresh details regarding its fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) rollout in its published 2021-22 Annual Report. 

The FTTH infrastructure now passes 90% of Belizean homes, after being extended to an additional 1,200 homes in Corozal Free Zone, Central Farm, Consejo Shores, Spanish Lookout, San Pedro South and Caye Caulker North. In terms of mobile upgrades, new 4G cell sites were deployed on Coco Plum Island and Manta Island in Southern Belize and the telco now operates ‘over 150 mobile sites’.

As of 31 March 2022 BTL claimed 204,000 mobile subscriptions (up from 194,000 year-on-year), 31,000 fixed broadband subscriptions (unchanged y-o-y) and 13,500 fixed voice lines (down from 15,700).

Smart launched the first LTE network in Belize in December 2015 over the B13 (700 MHz) band. Recognising the eventual deprecation of CDMA based networks and after years of delays, the company launched its 3G UMTS network in June 2017 over the B5 (850 MHz) band. 4G/LTE is on Band 13 / 700 MHz.

Smart now claims to operate the largest, fastest network in Belize, providing mobile, home and Internet service to over 100,000 customers.

The operators in Belize face several challenges for example: limited infrastructure, Belize's geography, with dense forests and low population density, poses challenges for building and maintaining a robust telecommunications infrastructure, especially in rural areas. Also the cost of service, Belizean consumers often grapple with high mobile service costs, including data charges. Balancing affordability with quality service remains a challenge for mobile operators.

A modern 5G network does not yet exist in Belize. The penetration rate of 4G, i.e., mobile communications with at least LTE speed, was recently 70 percent. In other words, 121,581.60 people in the country had to make do with a maximum Internet speed of the outdated UMTS standard (or even less).

A great deal more investment, collaboration, and a focus on meeting the evolving needs of consumers, However, with investment, collaboration, and a focus on meeting the evolving needs of consumers by Belize's mobile operators is needed to further improve and develop the mobile landscape. 

5G Coverage in Portugal has Increased Significantly

Portugal has a well-developed mobile network. Population coverage by 3G infrastructure is universal, much of the country have access to 4G and 4G+ connectivity. This includes the island communities of Madeira and the Azores. Furthermore, 5G is increasingly available in Portugal, although for now, this is limited to the largest cities.   

Despite its relatively small size, the Portuguese mobile phone market is an increasingly competitive place. There are three network operators to choose from: MEO, Vodafone, and NOS. 

When it comes to subscribers, MEO leads the way with around 42% of the market share. Operated by the former state-controlled Altice Portugal, MEO has historically been dominant in the Portuguese market. However, other operators, such as Vodafone (30%) and NOS (24%), are closing the gap.

Good detail on 5G base station deployments. In Q4 the total 5G base station count of 5,842 increased 35%. Nearly 40% of sites have 5G equipment installed, ranging quite significantly from 21% at MEO and 31% at Vodafone to 70% at NOS. https://t.co/IijK1rk8C3

— Phil Kendall (@philkendall) February 7, 2023

In the most recent Open Signal report all three operators performed very well, although NOS did best with three outright wins (Download Speed Experience, Excellent Consistent Quality and Core Consistent Quality) and 11 shared victories. 

Market leader MEO  owned by Altice Portugal launched its 5G network on January 1 2022. 5G is now available in all district capitals. The operator also says its 4G network now covers 99.7% of Portugal’s population. 

Earlier this year the National Communications Authority (Anacom) imposed a fine of 2.5 million euros on MEO, Altice Portugal, for "violation of the rules applicable to the termination of contracts".

NOS is the smallest operator in terms of subscribers but is quickly gaining ground due to its excellent coverage and services. 

As of April 2023 their 5G network covered 88% of the population, with 3,441 base stations reinforcing its market leadership in the technology.

Vodafone  the second largest operator acquired Nowo which had been the fourth operator  in Portugal, last year. Vodafone also recently signed European solar power purchase agreements with Iberdrola to deliver clean energy for Vodafone customers in Germany, Portugal and Spain. For Vodafone Portugal, the power purchase agreements (PPA) will provide the energy from the newly built Velilla solar photovoltaic (PV) plant located in Palencia, Spain.

Related Posts:

• Operator Watch Blog - Portugal: Demystifying 5G
• Operator Watch Blog - NOS: How 5G will enable a Digital Society
• Operator Watch Blog: NOS, Portugal demonstrates 5G for Smart Cities
• Telecoms Infrastructure Blog: Vodafone Portugal's “streetlamp”
• Telecoms Infrastructure Blog: Omniflow Smart Street Lighting for 5G and IoT 

Operators in Kyrgyzstan Cautiously Test 5G!

The Kyrgyz Republic, known as Kyrgyzstan, has the highest levels of mobile penetration across Central Asian (CA) countries — 159.9% with 2.94 SIMs per unique mobile subscriber, according to GSMA Intelligence. Despite being the second poorest country across CA, Kyrgyzstan came first regarding 4G Availability (the proportion of users of 4G-capable devices who spend most of their time on 4G networks). The National Development Strategy of the Kyrgyz Republic 2018-2040 is one initiative that facilitates digital transformation to hasten the country’s economic development. The State Communications Agency (SCA) stated in its annual report for 2021 that a total of 2,049 settlements across the country were covered by 4G LTE mobile networks at the end of 2021, equivalent to 96% of the country’s 2,130 officially registered cities, towns and villages. 2G mobile network technology extended to 2,088 locations (98%), while 3G networks were present in 2,081 (97%). Overall, 42 settlements (1.9%) were outside mobile network coverage, some due to a lack of power transmission lines.

Beeline Kyrgyzstan, Megacom,  and O! (Kyrgyztelecom) are the major mobile operators in the country. Megacom Kyrgyzstan, run by the state-owned Alfa-Telecom has started its rebranding campaign to MEGA following Megacom ownership transfer to the state-owned Kyrgyzstan State Development Bank. The operator announced that it expanded and upgraded its 2G, 3G, and 4G networks in seven regions and the capital of the Kyrgyz Republic. It plans to continue network coverage expansion across remote areas of Kyrgyzstan.

MEGA currently claims roughly three million mobile subscriptions, and its CEO Nurlan Mamytov stated that its strategic goals for 2023 include expanding the active user base, deploying at least 200 additional base stations in twelve months, upgrading network quality and data/internet speed, modernising existing technical infrastructure, further expanding the distribution/sales network, developing fintech services, and ‘creating favourable conditions for attracting large investments’.

In April of this year Mega launched Kyrgyzstan’s first VoLTE calling service. The IP-based 4G mobile voice service is available to compatible handset owners in all areas covered by MEGA’s LTE network, its press release claimed. VoLTE calls are provided at no extra charge to the user, with the cellco highlighting the technology’s benefits including fast call set-up time, high-definition sound quality and simultaneous high speed 4G mobile internet/voice connections.

Beeline is the biggest competitor of MegaCom in the country. They recently announced plans to leverage its parent group VEON’s partnership with satellite provider OneWeb to ‘become the first mobile operator in Kyrgyzstan capable of providing continuous communication and high speed internet to the most remote areas of the country, even those areas that have not had access to the network until now.’ Beeline said that the partnership with OneWeb will enable the elimination of digital inequality, ensure continuous communication in emergency situations ‘and increase the rate of economic growth of the population’ using high speed, low-latency satellite internet connectivity.

O! by Nur Telecom is the smallest of the three operators. Starting in Bishkek, Osh and Jalal-Abad, it offers 4G/LTE on 800 and 2600 MHz (B7 and 20). This has now spread to the country side and 97% of the population are covered in 2020 by LTE.

O! reported in August 2022 that they had conducted measurements of 5G data speed ‘which for the first time in Kyrgyzstan accelerated to 1.5Gbps.’ The company’s technical director Anton Kovalenko noted that ‘the launch of 5G into commercial operation is not far off, but it is too early to talk about a mass commercial launch, the transition will be phased.’ He added: ‘If [customers] are looking for a new smartphone, then in my opinion, it already makes sense to turn your attention to devices with support for the latest technology.’

5G in Kyrgyzstan is being tested in the n77 and n78 (3400MHz-3800MHz) frequency ranges, and will initially be integrated with existing 4G networks. O! expects its eventual 5G network to provide data speeds around ‘ten times faster than 4G’ with ‘average speed of 150Mbps-200Mbps.’

The mobile telecommunications sector in Kyrgyzstan is experiencing a dynamic phase with continuous efforts to improve network coverage, enhance service quality, and offer competitive pricing, mobile operators are striving to provide residents and visitors with an excellent mobile experience. As the industry evolves, customers can expect more advanced services, increased connectivity, and a vibrant mobile ecosystem in Kyrgyzstan.

Related Posts: 

• Operator Watch Blog: ‘Health Concerns’ delay 5G pilots in Kyrgyzstan
• Operator Watch Blog - Emerging 5G Markets: Kyrgyzstan 

Everything is Hunky-Dory in Austria as 5G Rollouts Gather Momentum

Austria has a highly developed telecommunications market, with a wide range of mobile operators offering services to consumers. The market is dominated by three major operators: A1 Telekom Austria, T-Mobile Austria, and Hutchison Drei Austria. These three companies provide the majority of mobile services to consumers in Austria. 

In common with other countries in the region, the operators as well as the government and regulator have focused on delivering improved telecom infrastructure. The government has a program to provide a national gigabit service by 2030, delivered by private enterprise though with some state funding. This is based on fibre networks supported by 5G, with the MNOs able to expand the reach of their 5G services following auctions held in March 2019 and September 2020. More recently, a plan has also been developed through to 2026 which would release additional spectrum in several bands to help increase network the capacity, and so improve the quality of services offered.

According to the most recent Open Signal report on Austria it was a two-horse race in the award table in Austria, with A1 and Magenta winning 10 and nine awards, respectively. A1 claims five awards outright — both overall speed and both consistency awards, along with Video Experience. Magenta is the sole winner of Games Experience, Voice App Experience, 5G Upload Speed and Availability — while operators jointly win the remaining five awards. 

The results in this report were based on measurements collected across all major mobile operators in Austria – 3, A1 and Magenta – over the period of 90 days between June 1, 2022 and August 29, 2022.

A1 has announced that they will shut off their 3G network on band 1 (2100 MHz) from Februrary 2023 (starting in Carinthia and Salzburg). The band 1 spectrum will be refarmed for 5G (going from 20 to 25 MHz of 5G on n1). The 3G network on band 1 (2100 MHz) and band 8 (900 MHz) will be shut off until the end of 2024. Drei has not made any indication yet about a 3G shutdown. A1 and Magenta agree that 2G will not be going anywhere any time soon.

A1 Telekom Austria is the market leader in Austria. The company was formed in 2010, following the merger of A1 Telekom Austria and mobilkom Austria. The company offers a wide range of mobile services, including voice, SMS, and data services, and has invested heavily in 5G infrastructure. A1 Telekom Austria also offers fixed-line services, including broadband and IPTV.

 4G/LTE is available on band 20 (800 MHz) nationwide, band 3 (1800 MHz) in smaller and bigger cities as well as band 7 (2600 MHz) in bigger cities, covering 98% of the population. 4G+/LTE-A carrier aggregation is available on cell sites which broadcast multiple 4G/LTE bands. 

In July 2021 A1 Telekom Austria has announced that its total number of 5G transmitters has increased to 2,000 across the country. The firm’s 5G network now covers almost 50% of the population across the country, including 80% of the capital Vienna.

According to Open Signal A1 has developed an end-to-end 5G network slicing proof of concept with Amdocs, which demonstrated management of 5G network slices and virtualized applications over public/private cloud and edge, along with its monetization potential. 

Magenta Telekom, which was formed in 2019 from the merger of mobile operator T-Mobile Austria and cableco UPC Austria is the second-largest mobile operator in Austria. The operator offers a range of mobile services to consumers, including voice, SMS, and data services. They have also invested heavily in 5G infrastructure, with a focus on providing high-speed data services to its customers.

Magenta has recently upgraded fixed broadband speeds for more than 500,000 existing customers. Through the upgrade, customers on low download rate plans will now be able to access speeds of 100Mbps, which has become the operator’s new entry-level plan, while other upgrades include from 100Mbps and 125Mbps to 150Mbps, from 150Mbps to 250Mbps and from 250Mbps to 300Mbps. The speed upgrade is being carried out on the firm’s HFC network and is at no additional cost for customers.

Magenta Telekom in Austria, formed by merger of T-Mobile and UPC is going to switch off 3G/UMTS starting 1 Jan 2024. Spectrum will be re-farmed for 4G/5G. 2G will continue to work - https://t.co/rofjhBDhwZ

FAQ https://t.co/7QPftGrdxG#2G #3G #3G4G5G #2G3Gshutdown

— Zahid Ghadialy (@zahidtg) April 8, 2022

The operator has enabled 5G access across all of its smartphone tariffs and intended to expand its 5G coverage to 55% of Austrians by the end of 2022 — while also planning to switch off its 3G services from the beginning of 2024.

Hutchison Drei Austria is the third-largest mobile operator in Austria, with a market share of around 24%. The company was formed in 2013, following the merger of Hutchison 3G Austria and Orange Austria. Hutchison Drei Austria offers a range of mobile services to consumers, including voice, SMS, and data services, and has invested heavily in 5G infrastructure. The company also offers fixed-line services, including broadband and IPTV.

Hutchison Drei Austria has announced the commercial launch of 5G Standalone (5G SA) services under the name ‘5G+’. The offering has been made available for 1.3 million homes and businesses across the country, and all of the firm’s existing 5G transmission sites have been activated for 5G+.

Drei has worked with Qualcomm and ZTE to showcase a 5G Standalone network using the 700 MHz band and aggregating a 1400 MHz supplemental downlink band. According to the involved parties, this development will help to improve 5G download speed and coverage in suburban and rural areas. Enhancing 5G experience in Austrian rural areas is important, as there is a notable 5G rural-urban divide in Austria, as recent research has demonstrated.

Related Posts: 

• Operator Watch Blog: Austria Gets New 5G Spectrum
• Operator Watch Blog: Excellent Video / Gaming Experience on 4G has set High Expectations for 5G in Austria