Gabon
Gabon has issued a tender for two licenses to provide GSM 900 service. The application deadline was 30 April, with the licenses scheduled to be issued at the end of May. It appears a newly created subsidiary of the Post and Telecommunications Office (OPT), which currently operates a GSM network through a subsidiary called Libertis, will receive a third new GSM 900 license.
Morocco
Morocco’s telecom regulator Agence Nationale De Reglementation Des Telecommunications (ANRT) pre-qualified seven international consortia to bid for the country’s second GSM license. In addition to local partners, the seven are France Telecom/Motorola, GTE/Bell Atlantic, Orange, Telecom Italia Mobile, Telefonica/Portugal Telecom, Vivendi/SBC and Vodafone/AirTouch. The ANRT expects to award the license by July.
Senegal
Sentel GSM, Senegal’s second cellular operator, launched service in April. Millicom International Cellular, which owns 75 percent of Sentel, said the launch marks MIC’s first prepay-only cellular service. The service area covers 10 main regions and a population of 1.9 million. The license is for a period of 20 years, renewable every five years.
