Putting the nation back in touch
New, modern network will extend to provinces and rural areas

Demand for telecommunications services will continue to grow in Sierra Leone as business expands with the return to normality. However, the country’s telecommunications system was virtually destroyed during the civil war, with Freetown cut off from the rest of the country for four years following the destruction of equipment in the provinces.

ALPHA SESAY Managing Director of Sierratel

Reconstruction, expansion and modernization of the national infrastructure is regarded as a matter of extreme urgency by Sierratel, the nation’s fixed-line provider, but external funding will be needed to bring it about by the target date of 2007.
Apart from the physical damage to its infrastructure, Sierratel has suffered financial loss from which it is still recovering. “It has been a difficult time,” says Managing Director Alpha Sesay, “but we have managed to keep the system running just based on the customers in Freetown.
“Our labor force is very loyal and we have managed to keep the international links going. We have invested a lot of money in an earth station and we have two switches for international calls.”

At present, 90 percent of Sierratel’s customers are based in the capital. Under a five-year program, it plans to change the balance of its customer base by building a digitalized network with more than three times as many direct exchange lines and around a third of its customers in the provincial and rural areas. It also expects to launch a GSM mobile network. Total investment required is about $156 million.

“There is an urgent need for a massive infusion of capital into Sierratel if it is to meet the needs of its customers and at the same time make an adequate profit to ensure its survival and growth,” says Mr. Sesay.
“We need to replace the equipment and extend the network to the whole country. Telecommunications are a catalyst for development and we could achieve a lot in this country if we could provide services in the rural areas where the diamonds, agriculture and mining are.”

Work is under way to provide a digitalized service in the provinces, starting with the major towns of Bo and Kenema. “We want to replace all analogue switches with digital switches and improve the internet service in the whole country within a period of 15 months,” says Mr. Sesay.
The mobile phones market in Sierra Leone is led by Celtel, part of the Dutch international MSI Cellular, which was launched in Sierra Leone just over two years ago. Celtel started in Freetown, catering for the U.N. peacekeeping force as well as the growing business community. Last year, customer numbers grew from 6,200 to 20,000 and have since expanded to more than 35,000.

DAVID HUNTER Managing Director of Celtel

“The fact that we were building our network during the war gave us a big advantage,” says Managing Director David Hunter. “When a country has been through a war like Sierra Leone and had its infrastructure destroyed, a high-quality product that people can use to communicate is going to be popular.
“We were willing to invest when nobody else was here. Twice we actually had to get out of the country, but we came back again to continue with the investment. We carried on showing confidence in the country and it paid off.”
Celtel has extended its network to Bo, Kenema and Lungi and has its sights set on the highly populated diamond-producing areas. “We are working to cover those by the end of this year,” says Mr. Hunter.
Celtel takes pride in its commitment to the development of Sierra Leone. “To be recognized by the local
community as having contributed to the country is very important and very satisfying,” he says.