Freetown, Sierra Leone – Over 4 million Sierra Leoneans now possess a mobile SIM card, as revealed by Minister of Communications, Technology, and Innovation, Salima Monorma Bah, during a recent press conference.
The event, hosted by the Ministry of Information and Civic Education on Tuesday, August 13, 2024, highlighted the government’s significant strides in improving internet and mobile services across the country.
The minister’s review of the past year’s achievements underscored the substantial progress made in expanding connectivity. Among the notable milestones was the successful Tech Summit, which attracted both local and international ICT experts to discuss innovative solutions for enhancing service delivery. President Bio used the summit to launch several key initiatives, including the $50 million Digital Transformation Project, the Felei Tech City Project, and the Star Link initiative.
One of the major accomplishments noted was the expansion of the National Fiber Backbone 2 Project, which has now extended fiber optic coverage to 14 out of the 16 districts in Sierra Leone, with ongoing efforts to cover the remaining districts.
Additionally, the government, through the Universal Access Development Fund (UADF), has launched nine rural telephony sites in farming communities, supporting the Feed Salone Project and expanding connectivity to remote areas.
Minister Bah emphasized that under President Bio’s leadership, internet and mobile services are considered basic human rights rather than luxuries.
The government, in partnership with the private sector, has made significant investments in network infrastructure. This includes the construction of telecom towers and the landing of the Subsea Ace Cable, all aimed at enhancing network reliability and ensuring that more Sierra Leoneans have access to these essential services.
In terms of connectivity, the statistics are impressive: 96.7% of the population has potential access to mobile connectivity, with coverage rates of 96% for 2G, 95.9% for 3G, and 87.7% for 4G. Mobile data penetration has also seen a notable increase, with 2.1 million people now using mobile data, reflecting a 15% rise from the previous year.
In a move to further strengthen network stability, Minister Bah led a delegation to Guinea to establish an interconnection agreement between the two countries. This agreement, expected to be signed within the next three weeks, is designed to serve as a contingency plan in the event of network outages.
Additionally, the minister disclosed that work is underway to develop a mobile data pricing formula similar to the fuel pricing model, aiming to ensure fair and transparent pricing for consumers.
These developments mark a significant leap forward in Sierra Leone’s digital transformation journey, with the government committed to ensuring that every citizen has access to reliable and affordable internet and mobile services.
