The news: 

• Niger Telecoms, the country’s national telephone and telecommunications provider, has launched a project to enhance connectivity nationwide, particularly the underserved rural areas. 
• On July 1, 2024, the state-owned telecom company announced that it had completed the construction of 16 new sites in the West African nation’s Maradi region, as part of its network expansion efforts.
• Per the company’s statement, the project, which will be implemented in phases, will begin with the thorough deployment of advanced equipment, comprising the setup and fine-tuning of transmission hardware and communication devices.

The telco noted that such preparations are necessary to swiftly get the new site operational and ensure it starts serving the local communities as soon as possible, enabling villagers to gain newfound access to essential mobile telephony services.

So far, it has installed pylons, built the solar energy fields, finished civil engineering works, and completed the construction of protective fencing around each site to guarantee the reach and security of the network, ensuring long-term operational stability.

Niger Telecom, created on September 28, 2016, as a merger of SONITEL, which managed fixed telephony, and SahelCom, which handled mobile telephony and connections, has yet to reveal the next phase of the project. 

“This achievement is part of a national program aimed at providing reliable and extensive connectivity across Niger,” part of the statement read. 

This development comes at a period when only 38.2% of Niger’s considerable territory can access telecom coverage that serves 78% of the country’s population.

Niger Telecoms, the nation’s long-standing operator, currently covers barely half (51.8%) of the country’s geographical area and caters to about 59.9% of its population. Mobile telephony and Internet penetrations stand at 65% and 32% respectively. 

Under its national network expansion programme, the state-run telecom firm plans to bolster its competitive advantage by connecting thousands more Nigeriens, with a special focus on the mobile sector. 

By 2023, official data ranked Niger Telecom as the fourth-largest player in the mobile telephony market, behind rivals Airtel (46%), Zamani Telecom (30%), and Moov Africa (18%). Telco has recorded 1.02 million subscribers, accounting for a meagre 6% market share. Niger Télécoms reiterates its mission to provide coverage to the entire country, including the most isolated areas.