• Four major operators—Mauritel, Mattel, Rimatel, and Chinguitel—submitted a combined bid of $27 million for 5G spectrum.

• Mauritel led the individual offers with a 305 million MRU bid, followed by a secondary 5% annual royalty on 5G revenue.

• The regulator requires winning firms to sign technical specifications within 30 days and pay fixed fees within 15 days thereafter.

In Mauritania, four telecom companies—Mauritel, Mattel, Rimatel, and Chinguitel—proposed a global offer of 1.08 billion ouguiyas ($27 million) to obtain 5G licenses. The Regulatory Authority (ARE) validated this collective offer last week. This decision makes these four operators the provisional successful bidders for 5G licenses in the country.

This development followed the opening of financial bids by the ARE after the tender process closed on March 30. Mauritel offered 305 million MRU. Rimatel proposed 265 million MRU. Chinguitel offered 260.5 million MRU. Finally, Mattel submitted a bid of 252.6 million MRU. Furthermore, each operator must pay an annual royalty equivalent to 5% of the revenue generated by 5G services.

The ARE now invites these operators to sign their official technical specifications. The firms must complete this signing process within a maximum of 30 days from April 9, 2026. Additionally, the operators must pay their fixed financial contributions to the Public Treasury within 15 days of signing those documents.

Consequently, Mauritania continues its progress toward the commercial deployment of 5G. The government originally launched the tender for these licenses on December 2. The ARE initially planned to end the process on January 15. However, the regulator repeatedly postponed the deadline until the final closing on March 30. The state intends to award up to four licenses in total.

The final signature and fee payments will grant the operators effective acquisition of the licenses. These licenses allow the companies to deploy the latest generation of mobile technology. Consumers expect higher speeds, lower latency, and greater network capacity. These improvements meet the growing connectivity needs of individuals, businesses, and government administrations. Simultaneously, the operators create new revenue streams through these advanced services.

However, the industry must consider several critical factors before achieving full deployment. Operators face high deployment costs while they still struggle to generalize 4G and 3G coverage. Data from the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) shows that 4G and 3G networks reached only 73% and 78% of the population respectively in 2024. A 2022 study by Ericsson estimates the base cost of 5G deployment in a single country between $3 billion and $8 billion. Furthermore, nationwide coverage requires an additional investment of 20% to 35%.

Once operators launch the network commercially, several factors will dictate service adoption. World Bank data shows that only 56.6% of Mauritanians over the age of 15 owned a smartphone in 2024. Other variables include the affordability of 5G data plans and the general level of digital skills among the population.

This article was initially published in French by Isaac K. Kassouwi

Adapted in English by Ange J.A de Berry Quenum