Rising Demand and Competition in Algeria’s Mobile Sector

Algeria, the largest country in Africa, has a fast-growing telecommunications sector shaped by strong state involvement, a youthful and increasingly connected population, and rising demand for mobile internet. Despite regulatory complexities and infrastructure challenges, mobile operators are competing to improve coverage, increase speeds and launch innovative digital services.

The mobile market in Algeria is dominated by three major operators: Mobilis (ATM Mobilis), which is state-owned; Djezzy (Optimum Telecom Algeria), a privatised operator with majority state ownership; and Ooredoo Algeria, a subsidiary of the Qatari Ooredoo Group.

According to GSMA Intelligence, there were 54.8 million cellular mobile connections in Algeria at the start of 2025. It is common for individuals to use more than one mobile connection, often splitting usage between personal and professional needs. The growing use of eSIMs has made this even easier. Mobile connections in Algeria were equivalent to 116 percent of the total population in January 2025. This figure had risen by 3.0 million, or 5.8 percent, over the previous year.

Of these connections, 91.4 percent are classified as broadband, meaning they access the internet via 3G, 4G or 5G networks. However, broadband-capable devices do not always translate to mobile internet usage, as some plans may include only voice and SMS services.

Mobilis holds the largest share of Algeria’s mobile market at 43.7 percent. As the state-owned operator, it plays a central role in national connectivity. Mobilis launched GSM services in 2003 and was the first to introduce 4G LTE in 2016. With strong government backing, it focuses on reaching both urban centres and rural areas. The operator offers a full suite of services including prepaid and postpaid voice, SMS and data plans. It has invested heavily in network upgrades and has been preparing for 5G with successful trials and a commercial rollout expected later in 2025.

Recent tests have shown Mobilis achieving speeds of up to 1.2 Gbps with low latency, demonstrating its ability to meet global performance benchmarks. These trials featured use cases such as virtual tourism, cloud gaming and augmented reality experiences. Alongside its mobile efforts, Mobilis is also expanding its fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) offerings through partnerships with local microenterprises, supporting broader national digital inclusion goals.

Djezzy, established in 2001, commands a 30.84 percent market share. Known for its innovation and wide reach, Djezzy has played a major role in expanding Algeria’s 3G and 4G footprint. The operator offers a variety of competitively priced data plans, particularly attractive to value-conscious users. It has also been involved in 5G trials as it looks to modernise its network and stay ahead of evolving consumer demands.

Ooredoo Algeria holds a 25 percent market share but consistently ranks high on digital service quality. The latest Opensignal report highlighted Ooredoo’s strengths in download and upload speeds, network consistency and video experience. Its portfolio includes data-rich plans aimed at younger users as well as solutions for business customers. The company is actively preparing for 5G through partnerships with global technology providers.

Ooredoo is also participating in the Universal Telecommunication Service project, a government-led initiative to extend coverage to remote and underserved regions. As part of this programme, the operator is working to deploy more than 1,200 new sites across rural Algeria, delivering essential voice and data services to communities that were previously unconnected or poorly served.

The mobile landscape in Algeria remains highly competitive, with all three operators striving to enhance service quality and expand their networks. This competition has helped to keep prices attractive while driving continuous improvements in infrastructure and user experience.

Algeria’s mobile ecosystem is evolving rapidly. With growing demand for data, nationwide 4G expansion and the expected arrival of commercial 5G services, the market is set for further transformation. Government initiatives to promote digital inclusion and the operators' sustained investment in technology suggest a strong trajectory for mobile connectivity across the country.

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• Operator Watch Blog: Algeria to Launch 5G but Prioritise 4G Infrastructure Upgrades
• Operator Watch Blog: Algeria - Growth and Competition in North Africa 

Algeria to Launch 5G but Prioritise 4G Infrastructure Upgrades

Algeria has a well developing telecom infrastructure with growth encouraged by sympathetic government policies and regulations aimed at delivering serviceable internet connections across the country. However fixed internet speeds remain slow, and the country ranks poorly in international tables. Some efforts are ongoing to address this, with the government having pressed Algérie Télécom in early 2021 to increase the minimum rate available from 4Mb/s to 10Mb/s.

Mobile broadband is largely based on 3G and LTE, and the data rates are also low in global terms. Although LTE is available in all provinces, much investment is required from the MNOs to improve the quality of service. The government is encouraging the MNOs to undertake upgrades to LTE infrastructure before investing in commercial 5G services.

Intensifying price competition between the three MNOs: Djezzy, Mobilis and Ooredoo Algeria – together with increases in taxes on voice and data services, have had a negative effect on operator revenue. The difficult operating climate encouraged VEON to sell its entire share in Djezzy in mid-2021, allowing it to focus on its more profitable markets.

Djezzy is the brand under which Optimum Télécom is marketing its mobile offer. 

Djezzy broadcasts 2G on 900 MHz and 3G up to HSPA+ on 2100 MHz in 48 Wilayas. 4G/LTE was launched in 2016 on 1800 MHz (band 3) and is available in most Wilayahs. Djezzy is the most popular brand amongst young people with the most aggressive marketing and generally on par with Mobilis.

Coverage in cities is good, while outdoors on 4G/LTE, but often falls back to 3G indoors. Rural coverarge ranges from 3G to sometimes EDGE or no service. Speeds on 4G/LTE ranges between 10 and 20 Mbps to occasionally poor or trouble connecting to some websites. Overall, connectivity is fairly reliable, though.

Mobilis is the brand under which the mobile subsidiary of state-owned Algérie Télécom is marketing its mobile offers. Based on the number of subscribers it's currently the market leader in the country and was launched in 2003.

Mobilis has been offering 3G connection in basically 80% of all the cities and towns since 2012. 4G/LTE was launched in October 2016 on 1800 MHz (band 3). 4G/LTE is available in the Wilayas of Tlemcen, Constantine, Batna, Bordj Bou Arreridj, El Oued, Biskra, Boumerdès, Tipaza, Blida, Tizi-Ouzou et Sidi Bel-Abbès. 

The third operator in number of users in Algeria is Ooredoo and used to be called Nedjma before. It's now owned by an international telco based in Doha, Qatar.

Just like the other Algerian operators they operate 2G on 900 and 1800 MHz, 3G on 2100 MHz and since end of 2016 on 4G/LTE on 1800 MHz (band 3) as well. Ooredoo covers with 3G most populated areas in Algeria and 28 out of 48 Wilayahs are covered with 4G so far.

Algeria’s telecoms regulator has issued additional spectrum in the 900MHz band to the country’s three mobile operators. ARPCE (Authority for Regulation of Post and Electronic Communications / Autorite de Regulation de la Poste et des Communications Electroniques) granted spectrum in the E-GSM band (880MHz-890MHz/925MHz-935MHz) to Djezzy, Mobilis and Ooredoo.

In a statement, the regulator said that the spectrum was to be used for “improving the quality of service of mobile telephony networks”, and noted that it would “continue its efforts in the planning and assignment of frequencies, in order to offer the best quality of service to users.”

The Algerian government said earlier this year they aim to ensure the launch of 5G mobile networks ‘soon’ and is currently working on freeing up and optimising the requisite radio frequency spectrum. Telecoms minister Karim Bibi Triki announced that the 5G initiative – forming part of efforts to meet growing demand for broadband connectivity – was not previously prioritised by the government due to more pressing needs to improve poor 4G coverage and service quality in some parts of Algeria, but he indicated that the telecoms sector could now be aiming for a commercial 5G launch by the end of 2022.

Since 2020 the COVID-19 pandemic influenced all Algerian operators to bolster their networks to cope with greater internet traffic demands, leading to ‘5G-ready’ technology deployments, with state-backed operator Mobilis having begun 5G testing and rollout of 5G-ready infrastructure in partnership with Huawei, whilst rival operators Djezzy and Ooredoo have formed respective next-generation technology partnerships with Nokia and Ericsson. Furthermore, high speed fibre-optic backbone expansions in the country will help support the introduction of fifth-generation mobile services, with an existing 200,000km of state-owned fibre cable alone. During 2021 Algerian operators requested that the government clarify its 5G strategy to allow them to plan their future investments.

Related Posts:

• Operator Watch Blog: Algeria - Growth and Competition in North Africa 

Algeria - Growth and Competition in North Africa

The mobile services market in Algeria showed significant growth in the last couple of years, having been relatively stagnant previously. Much of this growth was stimulated by the government’s efforts to improve connectivity in rural areas.

Intensifying price competition between the three MNOs – Mobilis, Djezzy and Ooredoo Algeria – together with increases in taxes on voice and data services, have had a negative effect on operator revenue. A new roaming agreement with Tunisia will place further pressure on revenue.

With the market becoming more mature, operators in turn are looking to opportunities in the mobile data and mobile broadband segments to generate revenue. To this end they have invested in upgrades to LTE infrastructure and have reported significant increases in data traffic. 

According to Analysys Mason, there were approximately 48.8 million mobile customers in Algeria as of December 31, 2019, compared to 51.3 million mobile customers as of December 31, 2018, representing a mobile penetration rate of approximately 112.3%, compared to 120.4% as of December 31, 2018.

Veon operate in Algeria through their operating company, Optimum, and the brand, “Djezzy.” 

Djezzy broadcasts 2G on 900 MHz and 3G up to HSPA+ on 2100 MHz in 48 Wilayas. 4G/LTE was launched in 2016 on 1800 MHz (band 3) and is available in most Wilayahs. They provide 4G/LTE services in Algeria in 28 of 48 provinces across the country, including Algiers, and the largest provinces in terms of population. Coverage in cities is good, while outdoors on 4G/LTE, but often falls back to 3G indoors. Rural coverarge ranges from 3G to sometimes EDGE or no service. Speeds on 4G/LTE ranges between 10 and 20 Mbps to occasionally poor or trouble connecting to some websites. Overall, connectivity is fairly reliable, though.They generally offer customers mobile telecommunications services under prepaid and postpaid plans.

Djezzy is the most popular brand amongst young people with the most aggressive marketing and generally on par with Mobilis.

Mobilis is the brand under which the mobile subsidiary of state-owned Algérie Télécom is marketing its mobile offers. Based on the number of subscribers it's currently the second operator in the country and was launched in 2003.

Mobilis has been offering 3G connection in basically 80% of all the cities and towns since 2012. 4G/LTE was launched in October 2016 on 1800 MHz (band 3). 4G/LTE is available in the Wilayas of Tlemcen, Constantine, Batna, Bordj Bou Arreridj, El Oued, Biskra, Boumerdès, Tipaza, Blida, Tizi-Ouzou et Sidi Bel-Abbès. Current coverage for 4G can be checked online by selecting the Wilayah, the city and the part of the city.

Mobilis has trialled 5G and expected to launch commercial services in 2020. Towards the end of 2018, Mobilis  successfully tested 5G connections in the town of Oran with the technical support of its partner Huawei. The data rates achieved were 1.18 Gbps. Oran will not be the only 5G town, as the operator is also working with other partners to conduct the same tests in other towns to be ready for global switch to the new technology in 2020.

The third operator in number of users in Algeria is Ooredoo and used to be called Nedjma before.

Just like the other Algerian operators they operate 2G on 900 and 1800 MHz, 3G on 2100 MHz and since end of 2016 on 4G/LTE on 1800 MHz (band 3) as well. Ooredoo covers with 3G most populated areas in Algeria and 28 out of 48 Wilayahs are covered with 4G so far.

Nokia is helping Ooredoo Algeria take the first step towards next generation networks and reinforce its technology leadership in the region with the successful deployment of North Africa's first virtualized Mobile Gateway. This is a crucial step for the migration of core network elements to the cloud and paves the way for the transformation of the core network to support next generation mobile network technology. The deployment allows Ooredoo Algeria to meet growing data demand in the region, and provide new and innovative services like Internet of Things (IoT), in addition to enhanced broadband to its subscribers. Once deployed, Ooredoo Algeria's subscribers will be able to enjoy high bandwidth-consuming services, delivering the best possible performance and reliability.