Regulation

Mauritanian telcos bid US$27.1 million for 5G licences

Mauritanian telcos bid US$27.1 million for 5G licences

Mauritanian telcos Moov Mauritel, Mattel, Chinguitel and Rimatel have reportedly bid MRU1.08 billion (around US$27.1 million) in total for 5G licences being auctioned by the Autorité de Régulation (ARE).

According to a report from the Ecofin news agency on Tuesday, Mauritel bid MRU305 million, Rimatel MRU265 million, Chinguitel MRU260.5 million and Mattel MRU252.6 million. ARE has validated all four bids, which means all four telcos are provisional winners.

For the next step, the telcos need to sign their specifications before May 9. Once they do that, they must pay the fixed financial consideration to the Treasury within 15 days, the report said.

In addition to the auction bids, Moov Mauritel, Mattel, Chinguitel and Rimatel will also have to pay a fee equivalent to 5% of their annual turnover generated by 5G, the report added.

The 5G licences have been on the block since early December when ARE first called for tenders for up to four licences. The deadline for tenders had been postponed twice since then, with the final date set to March 30.

How ready Mauritania’s mobile market is for 5G remains to be seen. According to the latest stats from the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), 4G reached 73% of the country’s population by the end of 2024, compared to 78% for 3G. Meanwhile, data from World Bank estimates 56.6% of Mauritanians own a smartphone, the report noted.



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