Burundi

The telecom group Econet Wireless Group, belonging to the Zimbabwean businessman Strive Masiyiwa announced on 7th July 2015 the completion of the merger of its Burundian subsidiary with that of VimpelCom, U-Com Leo,
 * Lumitel (by Vietnamese Viettel)
 * Econet Leo (by Zimbabwian Econet Wireless)
 * Smart Mobile (by LaCell Burundi)
 * Onamob (by Onatel Burundi)

Lumitel jump started in 2016 (1 mio. in three months).

Africell-TEMPO closed down in 2015 bancrupcy

Smart Mobile

International bandwidth increased almost five-fold between 2014 and the end of 2017, resulting in lower retail prices for consumers. There have also been efforts to encourage the country’s ISPs to join the national IXP in a bid to cannel internet traffic locally and thus reduce the cost of providing services to end-users.

2G 900 1800 MHz, 3G 2100 MHz, 4G/LTE on Lumitel and Econet Leo unspecified frequency, most likely 1800 MHz (B3).

Two of the mobile operators have launched 3G and LTE mobile services to capitalise on the growing demand for internet access. The number of mobile subscribers grew rapidly for several years, and though this slowed in 2016 there are now about six million subscribers. Mobile penetration, at 50%, remains low by regional standards, suggesting considerable room for further growth. A new player, Viettel Group, which received a licence to provide mobile services in early 2014, launched 2G and 3G services in June 2015 and LTE services in February 2016. It soon became the leading player in the country, with an extensive fibre-backhaul network which it can use to provide fixed-line services.

The long-established plans to privatise the national telco Onatel (which also operates one of the mobile networks), have been delayed several times, but the government since 2013 has made efforts to kick-start the process. Regulations
 * Lumitel now providing national mobile coverage;
 * Government secures loan to invest in Onamob’s network;
 * Burundi Broadband project gets underway, aiming for national coverage by 2025;
 * Regulator calls on local ISPs to join the national ISP and so reduce the cost of internet traffic;
 * Econet launches LTE services, competing with Viettel;

The Burundi government has ordered the local mobile networks in 2011 to start collecting proof of ID from prepay subscribers and registering their details. All new subscribers will be required to provide ID when buying a Sim card, and existing users will need to register their details by an unspecified deadline, after which their accounts will be blocked. Catherine Mabobori, spokeswoman for the first vice presidency, told Bloomberg News that the move was "so security forces can track alleged criminals whose use phones to disturb people".

Burundi has banned people from owning two sim cards from the same mobile provider, local Bonesha FM reports, quoting a press release from the finance ministry. Mobile phone companies will have two months to comply with the new regulations, it adds. Phone companies will also have to register all sim card users, or face fines of up to $3,000 (£2,100) for each case where they fail to block an unregistered user. The move comes amid continuing civil unrest in the country, which was sparked last April when President Pierre Nkurunziza announced he was running for a third term.

Lumitel

started May 2016 - gained 1 million in three months.

Viettel Burundi (Lumitel), the mobile operator owned by Vietnam’s military-backed Viettel Group which launched Burundi’s first 4G LTE network in Feb. 2016, is offering users a free 4G upgrade in a bid to attract people to switch to the faster network. Until the end of the month, anyone with a 4G-ready smartphone can visit one of Lumitel’s shops in Bujumbura, Gitega, Makamba, Muyinga, Ngozi and Rumonge and receive a free 4G SIM – or exchange their SIM to 4G – and get a bonus of 700MB of downloads as part of the deal. As previously reported by CommsUpdate, on 24 February the cellco introduced a range of mobile internet services with speeds of up to 100Mbps covering the core central parts of Bujumbura, Gitega, Ngozi, Rumonge Makamba and Muyinga. At the time it confirmed that anyone wishing to take advantage of the offer would need to buy a 4G-enabled Samsung, LG, iPhone or L9501 smartphone, which it says are available at an ‘affordable price’.

In a separate development, Lumitel is also working to improve the coverage of its 3G network and recently announced that its UMTS network has been extended to a further 80 Collines (districts) nationwide, involving expansion works in the provinces of Bubanza, Bujumbura Marie, Bujumbura Rural, Bururi, Cankuzo, Cibitoke, Gitega, Karuzi, Kayanza, Kirundo, Makamba, Muramvya, Muyinga, Mwaro, Ngozi, Rumonge, Rutana and Ruyigi. To date it has deployed 266 3G base stations nationally and claims to operate the largest third-generation network in Burundi.

TeleGeography’s GlobalComms Database writes that in January 2014 Viettel Global announced the establishment of a new cellular unit, Viettel Burundi, which was created after Viettel added another VND6.2 trillion (USD291.1 million) to finance capital for new projects. The following month the government reportedly charged Viettel BIF16 billion (USD10.47 million) for a Burundian network operating licence, well below the original asking price of closer to BIF60 billion, paving the way for the launch of the country’s sixth cellular service.

Mobile network operator (MNO) Viettel Burundi (Lumitel), a wholly owned subsidiary of Vietnamese military-owned telecom group Viettel, has announced that its 4G LTE network was available across the whole country by the end of February 2018. Lumitel launched the nation’s first 4G network on 24 February 2016, introducing a range of mobile internet services with speeds of up to 100Mbps initially covering the core central parts of Bujumbura, Gitega, Ngozi, Rumonge Makamba and Muyinga. 4G services continued to be marketed in big cities it said, but now it has extended coverage nationwide, with its parent following a strategy that has proved successful in Tanzania and Mozambique, bringing the network into unserved rural communities, with strong populations and market niches that have been poorly exploited by the competition – Econet Leo, Smart Mobile and ONAMOB. Specifically, to meet strong demand in rural areas and drive subscriber growth, Lumitel says it has deployed 3,300km of optical fibre and installed 112 4G antennas. The new equipment, it notes, augments its existing telecoms infrastructure which comprise 615 2G and 278 3G base stations.

Econet Leo

http://www.econet.bi/index.php/fr/

used to be no.1

Econet Leo, the Burundian mobile venture owned by Econet Wireless International (EWI), has reportedly launched a 4G network in the capital Bujumbura, joining rival Viettel Burundi (Lumitel) which has been offering ultra-high speed mobile in the country since February 2016. Agence Ecofin reports that Econet Leo subscribers have been ‘experimenting’ with 4G since the beginning of this month with managing director Nepias Njaravaza confirming that customers will need a new SIM card and compatible device to try out the service. Although it currently only offers signal coverage in the capital, it plans to extend coverage to other provinces in due course. Lumitel meanwhile, 85%-owned by Vietnamese firm Viettel Global, launched LTE simultaneously in six provinces of the country and is estimated to have more than 1.79 million subscribers – albeit less than 20,000 are thought to be actively using the 4G network.

4G stated in Bujumbura captital

onamob

The government of Burundi has revealed plans to modernise the network of ONAMOB, the mobile arm of state-owned incumbent operator Office National des Telecommunications (Onatel), via a USD30 million loan from Huawei International Limited. The Chinese vendor has put the money at the Burundian government’s disposal – repayable over ten years – which Philippe Nzobonariba, the secretary-general and spokesman of the government, says will be ‘a survival investment’ for the company. Firstly, the investment will enable ONAMOB to provide a better population coverage and give it better products and services with which to compete with dominant private mobile operators, while secondly, the monies will drive revenues to help rebuild the company’s long term future.

According to TeleGeography’s GlobalComms Database, Onatel announced plans to enter the mobile market in its own right in 2005. In October that year it launched a GSM network in the capital Bujumbura through its mobile arm ONAMOB, under the brand name PANA. The launch was backed by China’s Huawei Technologies which carried out the installation and offered supplier credit of USD4.5 million to finance the project; the Chinese firm signed the deal in January 2005. The rollout involved the installation of a GSM network for Bujumbura, and a WiLL network in rural areas.

Avec l’année 2018, l’ONATEL entre dans l’ère de la grande Innovation avec l’extension et la modernisation du réseau mobile ONAMOB en la dotant des nouvelles technologies comprenant la 3ème Génération (3G) et la 4ème Génération (4G LTE). not recommended, so far on 2G only.

Smart Mobile (3G)