Côte d’Ivoire: SNO Finally Launched
Despite being licensed back in 2002, Côte d’Ivoire’s Second National Operator (SNO), Arobase Telecom, is only now making a full commercial entry into the country’s telecoms market. In an effort to compete with fixed incumbent Côte d’Ivoire Telecom (CIT), the entrant is planning to offer services using CDMA2000 and WiMAX. Analyst Bigué Sagna reviews the SNO’s offerings in this market, which despite being held back by uncertainties regarding its economic outlook, is still full of potential.
South Africa: Can Rural USALs Survive?
In her address on the occasion of the second reading of the Electronic Communications Bill (ECB), South Africa’s Communications Minister stated that under the ECB, underserviced rural areas will grow to be “sexy areas” for investors and entrepreneurs. Consistent with the goal of increasing competition and reducing the overall cost of communications, Under Serviced Area License (USAL) operators have a strong role to play in the South African telecoms market. Although all the conditions for a significant market impact are not yet in place, Associate Analyst Tamara Kummer takes a closer look at the USAL opportunity and identifies key challenges in the post-Convergence Bill era.
Iran: Promising Growth Lies Ahead
The last 10 years saw Iran at a mere 7.1m mobile subscriptions; the next five will see it add a staggering 11.5m. Join Senior Analyst Taha Rangwala as he quantifies the growth prospects awaiting operators in the Iranian mobile market.
