COMMUNICATION

There are  four service providers in The Gambia's communication sector; GAMTEL (fixed line), GAMCEL, AFRICELL and COMIUM (GSM). A third GSM service provider, Q Cell, bringing the total communication service providers to five will become operational in early 2009. In 2007 when a new operator, COMIUM entered into the market, interconnection issues among telecom operators presented PURA with challenges that warranted regulatory interventions to resolve them. In May 2007 all the five telecommunication service providers (GAMTEL, GAMCEL, AFRICELL and COMIUM) signed the first interconnection agreement. In October 2008 PURA issued the first of a two-phased regulatory intervention to reduce interconnection rates, with the second phase applicable in April 2009. This was intended to remove the high cost of off-net calls and enable consumers to have one mobile handset and operator instead of a handset for all operators due to the avoidance of the high cost of off-net calling. A new Information and Communication Act is anticipated in December 2008 which will further enable the communications sector to be effectively managed with clearly defined roles and responsibilities for both the regulator and policy makers.