(Ecofin Agency) - Senegal's telecommunications regulator awarded 5G licenses to Sonatel and Free in July and December 2023, respectively. Both operators commenced offering ultra-high-speed broadband on varying scales in March 2024.

Guinea seeks to draw on Senegal's "best practices and expertise" for its own 5G deployment. To this end, a delegation from Guinea's Regulatory Authority for Posts and Telecommunications (ARPT) conducted a working visit to Senegal's Telecommunications and Posts Regulatory Authority (ARTP) from June 5 to 7.

The delegation was sent to carry out a comparative study on 5G and develop a roadmap for its deployment in Guinea. "The parties also discussed opportunities for bilateral cooperation and the imminent signing of a memorandum of understanding to share best practices in regulation and digital innovation," ARTP stated in a press release.

Senegal's telecom regulator launched a public call for 5G license applications on May 31, 2023. Sonatel (Orange) secured the first license in July for CFA34.5 billion ($56.4 million). Free followed in December with an investment of CFA13.5 billion and launched ultra-high-speed broadband in Dakar on March 5 while Sonatel rolled out fixed 5G for residential and business customers on March 6 and for mobile subscriber in June.

In Guinea, no official announcement has been made regarding a potential 5G launch timeline. However, it was anticipated that the new state-owned enterprise, Guinea Telecom, once launched, would provide ultra-high-speed services to meet population needs and stay competitive.

Guinea's interest in 5G comes amid a digital transformation push. The next-generation technology could accelerate the Guinean government's digitalization ambitions, a cornerstone of the country's socioeconomic development. Ultra-high-speed broadband is expected to facilitate new applications such as e-government, e-learning, telemedicine, smart cities, artificial intelligence, and the Internet of Things (IoT).