(Ecofin Agency) - SENELEC signed a protocol of understanding with Huawei last December. The deal covered the design and planning of research, innovation, and digitalization projects, among others.

Starting December 2023, Senegal’s National Electricity Company (SENELEC) should have the means to supply network capacities to telecom operators, governments, and both public and private businesses. The power company is currently setting up a 100/200G national network with the help of Huawei.

This network leverages SENELEC's optical fiber infrastructure, which spans more than 2,000 km across Senegal. Predominantly employing an aerial architecture, SENELEC's optical fiber network boasts 53 Backbone sites, each offering a capacity of 100 gigabytes per wavelength.

Back in December 2022, SENELEC inked a cooperation agreement with the Chinese giant to speed up its digital transformation. Ultimately, the Senegalese company wants to better manage its costs and boost its revenues, leveraging digital tools, innovation, and telecommunication infrastructures.

SENELEC's network should enable telecom operators to extend their service coverage to remote areas. This move aligns with the government's vision to ensure complete mobile telephony network coverage throughout the country.

According to latest data  (June 2023) from the Senegalese telecom regulator, Senegal has 21.91 million mobile phone lines, translating to a penetration rate of 123.54%. Also, the country had 12.21 million internet users at the time the data was released. The collaboration between SENELEC and Huawei is expected to further boost these figures, enabling even more residents to tap into digital connectivity.

Isaac K. Kassouwi