• Mauritania receives four compliant bids for planned 5G rollout
• Licensing process advances as operators begin technical preparations
• Rollout aims to improve services amid ongoing quality issues

Mauritania is moving closer to launching 5G services, after the country’s telecommunications regulator said it had received four technically compliant applications from operators and internet service providers following a tender that closed on March 30.

In a statement issued on April 2, the Autorité de régulation (ARE) released the technical scores for each applicant. Mattel ranked first with 81 points out of 100, followed by Mauritel with 76, Chinguitel with 72 and internet service provider Rimatel with 71. Financial bids are due to be opened on April 7.

Preparations already underway

Mauritania has begun preparations for commercial 5G deployment. The licensing tender, launched on December 2, was initially set to close on January 15 before being extended twice, first to March 17 and then to March 30. Up to four licenses are expected to be awarded.

The rollout is among the government’s priorities for 2026. In January, Prime Minister El Moctar Ould Djay said authorities would complete the licensing process and secure the investment needed to bring the networks online.

Operators have already started technical preparations. Mattel conducted 5G trials with support from Huawei, recording speeds of around 2 Gbps across several use cases. Moov Mauritel also carried out tests, reflecting growing interest in next-generation mobile services.

Rollout amid declining service quality

The push for 5G comes as access to and quality of existing telecom services remain below standard. The regulator has repeatedly issued formal notices and imposed financial and administrative penalties, but service quality has yet to improve.

A monitoring exercise conducted between July 7 and August 23 identified deficiencies across 62 towns and 11 road corridors. Mattel was flagged for shortcomings in 24 towns for voice services, 15 for 3G, 22 for 4G and along nine road corridors. Mauritel recorded issues in 24 towns for voice, 30 for 3G, 29 for 4G and eight road corridors. Chinguitel was cited in 28 towns for voice, 39 for 3G, 22 for 4G and 10 road corridors.

In November 2024, the regulator fined all three operators for failing to meet service quality obligations. Mauritel was fined 313.2 million ouguiyas and had one month removed from its 2G license. Mattel received a 127.03 million ouguiya fine and a two-month reduction of its 2G license. Chinguitel was fined 100.2 million ouguiyas, with reductions of three months, one month and two months applied to its 2G, 3G and 4G licenses respectively.

According to the International Telecommunication Union, 97% of Mauritania’s population was covered by 3G in 2023. The 3G penetration rate stood at 78% in 2024, compared with 73% for 4G. Across Africa, 4G coverage averaged 75.2% in 2025, compared with 92.7% globally. Mobile penetration in Mauritania reached 83.2%, while mobile internet penetration stood at 45.8%.

High costs and adoption barriers

The shift to 5G is expected to face significant financial challenges. A 2022 study by Ericsson estimates that deploying 5G in a country costs between $3 billion and $8 billion, with an additional 20% to 35% required to extend nationwide coverage.

Adoption will also depend on access to compatible devices. World Bank data show that about 56.6% of Mauritanians aged 15 and over owned a smartphone in 2024. Cost remains the main barrier, with smartphones representing about 26% of monthly GDP per capita in sub-Saharan Africa, compared with 16% in other low- and middle-income countries, according to the GSMA.

Other factors include the affordability of data plans, digital skills, perceived value of services and overall user experience.

Isaac K. Kassouwi