Sonitel - Niger

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Carrier
Sonitel
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Niger Flag of Niger View country details


Sonitel (Niger) uses 1 GSM band. Find out if your unlocked phone or mobile device will work with Sonitel (Niger). See the tables below for details.

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Carrier website: http://www.sonitel.ne/

Sonitel Niger, formerly known as Société Nigérienne des Télécommunications (SONITEL), was the national telephone and telecommunications carrier in Niger from the late 1990s until the mid-2010s. It was created on 20 March 1997 through the fusion of the telecommunications arm of Nigerien Posts and Telecommunications (Office 'International Telecommunications Society of Niger') and was part of a larger process of internationally led privatization of Niger's parastatal sector.

Key Points About Sonitel Niger Mobile Network:

  1. Privatization and Ownership:

    • Initially, the majority of Sonitel's shares were sold to the Sino-Libyan consortium DATAPORT in December 2001, with the government of Niger retaining a significant stake.
    • In 2009, the government of Niger renationalized Sonitel and its mobile subsidiary SahelCom, retaining a 100% share in the company.

  2. Merger with SahelCom:

    • In 2016, Sonitel was merged with its mobile unit SahelCom to form a new entity called Niger Telecom.

  3. Mobile Services:

    • Sonitel offered mobile services through its subsidiary SahelCom, which was later merged into Niger Telecom.
    • The mobile network was criticized for poor performance and accumulated significant debts despite increased user fees.

  4. Current Status:

    • The merged entity, Niger Telecom, continues to operate in the country, aiming to develop greater efficiency through shared resources and infrastructure.
    • The company is currently under the state's majority ownership, following the renationalization in 2009.

Additional Operators in Niger:

  • Airtel Niger: The largest mobile operator in Niger, with a market share of 68% and over four million subscribers.
  • Zamani Telecom: Formerly Orange Niger, it was sold to local businessmen and has over three million mobile subscribers.
  • Moov Niger: Another significant mobile operator with a market share of 11.52% in 2018.

These operators, along with others, contribute to the mobile telecommunications landscape in Niger, which has seen significant investment and changes in recent years.

Frequency Bands

GSM

Name Interface Description
900 MHz (E-GSM) GSM

Sonitel Niger uses the GSM 900 MHz (E-GSM) frequency band. The deployment of this frequency band is not specified in the provided information.

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