• SOGEB and Leoncom sign deal to cross-market international broadband capacity
• Agreement enables mutual access at Pamelap cross-border exchange point
• Partnership aims to lower costs, improve connectivity, and expand bandwidth

Guinea and Sierra Leone have signed a new agreement to advance regional digital integration by jointly exploiting their fiber optic networks. On Thursday, 12 June, Guinea’s Backbone Management Company (SOGEB) and Sierra Leone’s national fiber optic operator, Leoncom, concluded a deal in Conakry to cross-market their international broadband capacities.

The agreement grants each operator reciprocal access to the other’s national fiber infrastructure through the cross-border exchange point at Pamelap, on the Guinea–Sierra Leone border. It establishes a resource-sharing framework to optimize use of existing infrastructure and expand access to international fiber capacity.

This move is intended to boost digital interconnection between the two West African countries, with the promise of more stable, affordable, and competitive broadband services for telecom providers, businesses, and public institutions.

The deal builds on a bilateral interconnection agreement signed by both governments on 22 November 2024. It reflects ECOWAS’s broader push for regional digital integration amid persistent disparities in telecom infrastructure development.

As of early 2025, Guinea had an internet penetration rate of 26.5% (3.96 million users), while Sierra Leone stood at 20.7% (1.80 million users), according to Datareportal.

The SOGEB–Leoncom partnership is expected to improve network redundancy, reduce service disruptions, and expand bandwidth. Over time, this could lower connectivity costs, increase digital adoption, and support new services in areas such as e-government, education, and healthcare.