Subject: [NEXTEL-1] COMESA ahead of EU on tariffs

From: [email-masked]
Date: Thu, 22 Jul 2004 03:30:14 -0400

The following piece concerns mobile telephony in COMESA, the Common
Market for Eastern and Southern Africa. It seems that they may reach
trans-national tariffs ahead of the European Union. COMESA covers a
great slice of Africa from the Red Sea diagonally to Namibia.

Celtel Tariffs to Go Regional
http://allafrica.com/stories/200407191365.html

Alari Alare and James Anyanzwa
Nairobi 

Celtel International B.V, the firm that recently acquired a huge stake
in mobile phone service provider, KenCell, plans to introduce a single
call tariff for its subscribers in the Comesa region.

Mr Mamadou Kolade, the company's external affairs director, said Celtel
subscribers will soon be able to call Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and other
Comesa countries at a single rate. The plan will however have to get the
nod of regulators in the respective countries. Kolade made the remarks
at a recent Comesa Summit meeting in Kampala, Uganda.

The move by Celtel, which has a presence in seven Comesa countries and a
direct link between Congo Kinshasa and Congo Brazzaville, could result
into a dramatic reduction in international phone tariffs in the region.

Analysts, however, said Celtel's plan could only succeed with increased
liberalisation of the telecommunication industry in the region."To link
to some countries, you need an international request as at times
international calls are monitored. It would be easier for the
international operator to link up in a liberalised market," an analyst
observed.

Kolade said that the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the
private sector lending arm of the World Bank, would back Celtel in its
new plan but declined to disclose when it would take off or even how it
would work. "Many governments in the Comes region want
interconnectivity. Some ministers and Comesa leaders have even given an
assurance that they will help us realise this noble goal." Kolade said.

Celtel International recent acquisition of the controlling stake in
KenCell re-affirmed its position as the fastest growing mobile service
operator in the African region.

The acquisition of the 60 per cent equity in KenCell Communications was
made at a cost of Sh18.3 billion. Celtel made the break through after it
beat another African giant, MTN with which it had been involved in a
two-horse race for the prime stake. Vivendi, the initial chief
shareholder in KenCell, had agreed to sell its majority stake to MTN but
the South African group was piped to the finish line by Vivendi's
partner in Kenya, Sameer Investments Group, which owns 40 per cent of
the firm, which favoured Celtel.

The deal added a further 1.2 million subscribers to Celtel's African
network bringing the number of its African subscribers to 4 million in
13 countries.

Celtel operates in Burkina Faso, Chad, and The Democratic republic of
Congo, Gabon, Malawi, Niger, the Republic of Congo, Sierra Leone,
Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.

It is a major stakeholder in Sudan's mobile network operator, Mobitel
and a founding shareholder and minority partner in Vodafone Egypt.It
also manages the major fixed-line operation in Tanzania.

Celtel International recent acquisition of the controlling stake in
KenCell re-affirmed its position as the fastest growing mobile service
operator in the African region.

The acquisition of the 60 per cent equity in KenCell Communications was
made at a cost of Sh18.3 billion. Celtel made the break through after it
beat another African giant, MTN with which it had been involved in a
two-horse race for the prime stake. Vivendi, the initial chief
shareholder in KenCell, had agreed to sell its majority stake to MTN but
the South African group was piped to the finish line by Vivendi's
partner in Kenya, Sameer Investments Group, which owns 40 per cent of
the firm, which favoured Celtel.

The deal added a further 1.2 million subscribers to Celtel's African
network bringing the number of its African subscribers to 4 million in
13 countries.

Celtel operates in Burkina Faso, Chad, and The Democratic republic of
Congo, Gabon, Malawi, Niger, the Republic of Congo, Sierra Leone,
Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.

It is a major stakeholder in Sudan's mobile network operator, Mobitel
and a founding shareholder and minority partner in Vodafone Egypt.It
also manages the major fixed-line operation in Tanzania.

Celtel International recent acquisition of the controlling stake in
KenCell re-affirmed its position as the fastest growing mobile service
operator in the African region.

The acquisition of the 60 per cent equity in KenCell Communications was
made at a cost of Sh18.3 billion. Celtel made the break through after it
beat another African giant, MTN with which it had been involved in a
two-horse race for the prime stake. Vivendi, the initial chief
shareholder in KenCell, had agreed to sell its majority stake to MTN but
the South African group was piped to the finish line by Vivendi's
partner in Kenya, Sameer Investments Group, which owns 40 per cent of
the firm, which favoured Celtel.

The deal added a further 1.2 million subscribers to Celtel's African
network bringing the number of its African subscribers to 4 million in
13 countries.

Celtel operates in Burkina Faso, Chad, and The Democratic republic of
Congo, Gabon, Malawi, Niger, the Republic of Congo, Sierra Leone,
Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.

It is a major stakeholder in Sudan's mobile network operator, Mobitel
and a founding shareholder and minority partner in Vodafone Egypt.It
also manages the major fixed-line operation in Tanzania.

work. "Many governments in the Comes region want interconnectivity. Some
ministers and Comesa leaders have even given an assurance that they will
help us realise this noble goal." Kolade said.

Celtel International recent acquisition of the controlling stake in
KenCell re-affirmed its position as the fastest growing mobile service
operator in the African region.

The acquisition of the 60 per cent equity in KenCell Communications was
made at a cost of Sh18.3 billion. Celtel made the break through after it
beat another African giant, MTN with which it had been involved in a
two-horse race for the prime stake. Vivendi, the initial chief
shareholder in KenCell, had agreed to sell its majority stake to MTN but
the South African group was piped to the finish line by Vivendi's
partner in Kenya, Sameer Investments Group, which owns 40 per cent of
the firm, which favoured Celtel.

The deal added a further 1.2 million subscribers to Celtel's African
network bringing the number of its African subscribers to 4 million in
13 countries.

Celtel operates in Burkina Faso, Chad, and The Democratic republic of
Congo, Gabon, Malawi, Niger, the Republic of Congo, Sierra Leone,
Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.

It is a major stakeholder in Sudan's mobile network operator, Mobitel
and a founding shareholder and minority partner in Vodafone Egypt.It
also manages the major fixed-line operation in Tanzania.

Celtel International recent acquisition of the controlling stake in
KenCell re-affirmed its position as the fastest growing mobile service
operator in the African region.

The acquisition of the 60 per cent equity in KenCell Communications was
made at a cost of Sh18.3 billion. Celtel made the break through after it
beat another African giant, MTN with which it had been involved in a
two-horse race for the prime stake. Vivendi, the initial chief
shareholder in KenCell, had agreed to sell its majority stake to MTN but
the South African group was piped to the finish line by Vivendi's
partner in Kenya, Sameer Investments Group, which owns 40 per cent of
the firm, which favoured Celtel.

The deal added a further 1.2 million subscribers to Celtel's African
network bringing the number of its African subscribers to 4 million in
13 countries.

Celtel operates in Burkina Faso, Chad, and The Democratic republic of
Congo, Gabon, Malawi, Niger, the Republic of Congo, Sierra Leone,
Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.

It is a major stakeholder in Sudan's mobile network operator, Mobitel
and a founding shareholder and minority partner in Vodafone Egypt.It
also manages the major fixed-line operation in Tanzania.

Celtel International recent acquisition of the controlling stake in
KenCell re-affirmed its position as the fastest growing mobile service
operator in the African region.

The acquisition of the 60 per cent equity in KenCell Communications was
made at a cost of Sh18.3 billion. Celtel made the break through after it
beat another African giant, MTN with which it had been involved in a
two-horse race for the prime stake. Vivendi, the initial chief
shareholder in KenCell, had agreed to sell its majority stake to MTN but
the South African group was piped to the finish line by Vivendi's
partner in Kenya, Sameer Investments Group, which owns 40 per cent of
the firm, which favoured Celtel.

The deal added a further 1.2 million subscribers to Celtel's African
network bringing the number of its African subscribers to 4 million in
13 countries.

Celtel operates in Burkina Faso, Chad, and The Democratic republic of
Congo, Gabon, Malawi, Niger, the Republic of Congo, Sierra Leone,
Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.

It is a major stakeholder in Sudan's mobile network operator, Mobitel
and a founding shareholder and minority partner in Vodafone Egypt.It
also manages the major fixed-line operation in Tanzania.

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