Telecel Group is acquiring 100% of shares in Mauritanian operator Mattel (Mauritano-Tunisienne des Télécommunications) from BSA Telecommunication and Tunisie Telecom (TT), BSA telecommunication and COMATEL.
Founded in 2000, Mattel is the smallest of Mauritania’s three players although it enjoys a market share of almost 33%. It is currently majority owned by TT (51%), with BSA Telecommunication holding 39% and Comatel 10%. The operator has fibre optic infrastructure deployed in Mauritania’s major cities, as well as a 4G network.
UK-based Telecel Group has been operating in Africa since 1986, and has active operations in the Central African Republic (CAR), Liberia and South Africa, according to TeleGeography. Kapital Afrik reports that the group is planning to invest over US$700 million across the next three years, with a focus on acquiring mobile operators and deploying fibre optic infrastructure.
