The Gambia Has About a Million Telephone Subscribers, a Survey Reveals
APA-Banjul (The Gambia) The Gambia has almost a million telephone subscribers, with over 800,000 mobile telephone and about 50,000 fix telephone subscribers, according to a report by the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) released here Friday.
The report says that the telephone subscriber list has grown by 86 per cent in 2007, from 73 per cent in 2006.
“This surge in growth is as a result of an increased register in the subscriber base of the mobile telephone sector as against the fixed line subscribers, primarily as a result of a competitive environment created by the government,” the report said.
The report indicates that despite the stiff competition amongst the mobile telephone providers, they continue to increase their subscriber base.
In contrast, the release said the last two years saw stagnation in the number of fixed line subscribers in The Gambia with marginal growth rate of only 20 per cent in 2006 and 9 per cent in 2007.
The report adds that telecommunications in The Gambia “is one of the most highly competitive markets in the sub-region. This is illustrated by an increase in innovative services and pricing schemes such as peak, off peak and free night calls.”
The report concludes that the communications sector saw a tremendous growth from 7 percent to 25 percent in 2007, with an estimated investment in the telephone sector of US$26.3 million in 2007.
Posted to the site on 27th July 2008
