Find Telecommunication expertise in Sierra Leone

In 2011 there were 356 mobile phone subscriptions per 1,000 people. A mere 0.3% of the population are internet users through internet cafes in Freetown (2008). The most reliable and popular mode of communication is the use of mobile phones.

The five main mobile network providers are Celtel, Millicom, Africell, Datatel and Comium. The main provider of fixed telephony services for both national and international services is Sierratel (Sierra Leone Telecommunications). They are also one of the two main internet providers, the other is Datatel.

Until February 2013, Sierra Leone depended entirely on satellites for international connections but then it was connected to the ACE submarine cable. This has considerably improved bandwidth capabilities and is expected to bring down the price of broadband which has hitherto been extremely expensive.

Fixed wireless and broadband services are accessible following an upgrade to the EV-DO standard. Other 3G services based on HSPA technology were launched in 2011 and 2012.