How is Somali telecommunication doing?

[UlteriorMotive]

We have long known that Somalia, despite the war, had a thriving telecom business with some of the best rates in Africa.

According to Wikipedia:

There are around 100,000 (2004) main line telephones in use, but as of 2007 734,800 mobile phones.[4]


Somalia has the cheapest cellular calling rates on the continent, with some companies charging less than a cent per minute.[8] Competing phone companies have agreed on interconnection standards, which were brokered by the United Nations funded Somali Telecom Association. Installation time for a land-line is just three days, while in neighboring Kenya waiting lists are many years long.[9]

However, how have things progressed since then? I know Hormuud pioneered the Zaad service which ''allows customers to use their money for transfers, purchases, payment of bills, and airtime recharge'' as well as their e-voucher system.

Any other developments since then? Or have Somalis rested on their laurels?

For example, do any of them provide mobile internet? Recent travellers to Somalia, were you able access the internet from your smartphone (assuming you have one)?

[UlteriorMotive]

This thread was inspired by this article on Huffington Post:

Dispatch From Africa: The New Africa, 5Bar, 3G Mobile Phone Service in Tanzania

Recently I was traveling in Tanzania for the World Economic Forum meeting on Africa, and the moment I came off the plane into the airport I knew that Tanzania was playing to win on the world stage of 21st century business and commerce. You see, from the moment I deplaned until the moment I left the great nation of Tanzania, I had 5 Bat, 3G cell phone service. No dropped calls, and more, mobile Internet access, so I was able to report out on the meeting, and my sightings in and of Tanzania on Twitter, Facebook and on my my blog.

Tanzania is on the come up mashallah.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-hope ... 33338.html

[ZubeirAwal]

http://www.telesom.net/

[UlteriorMotive]

Telesom:

Our GSM Services include.....News headlines, Google search, livestock prices, stock exchange rates, ZAAD Services, GPRS, 3G, International Roaming, Postpaid Simcards, Prepaid Simcards and other value added services.

If they can do that, how come they can't provide internet?

Why google search and not full-fledged internet?

[ZubeirAwal]

They're on that, didn't you check the wireless section?, they do provide internet, Atleast in hargeisa somali families are now buying PC desktops in their homes.

[UlteriorMotive]

Nice

Here are some Mogadishu University students working on a laptop from home.

http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2012/0 ... f=africa#4

[waryaa]

I don't know about somaliland but the south is like wild wild west. Sometimes it costs much cheaper to call as faraway as USA and Norway than to call next door. The problem is that there's no interconnection among telecom companies and you need to go international to call someone on another network.

Puntland is much better than the south price-wise because of fierce competition. Thanks God these companies cannot stand each other and almost drove each other to bankruptcy - victory for the public. In puntland it is like 1c or so per minute to make a call to another phone number within the same network. Even one company (Olympic/Telecom) has $5 month unlimited nationwide talk with conference call. You can be in Bosaso and make a conference call for some1 in Galkacyo and another in Kismayo, all included in that $5 buck deal. In puntland, the most expensive company (Golis/Barakaad) charges 10 cents per minute for calls to USA. Other companies are cheaper.

In Mogadishu, three major telecom companies control the market and smarted out the public.

[UlteriorMotive]

I don't know about somaliland but the south is like wild wild west. Sometimes it costs much cheaper to call as faraway as USA and Norway than to call next door. The problem is that there's no interconnection among telecom companies and you need to go international to call someone on another network.

Puntland is much better than the south price-wise because of fierce competition. Thanks God these companies cannot stand each other and almost drove each other to bankruptcy - victory for the public. In puntland it is like 1c or so per minute to make a call to another phone number within the same network. Even one company (Olympic/Telecom) has $5 month unlimited nationwide talk with conference call. You can be in Bosaso and make a conference call for some1 in Galkacyo and another in Kismayo, all included in that $5 buck deal. In puntland, the most expensive company (Golis/Barakaad) charges 10 cents per minute for calls to USA. Other companies are cheaper.

In Mogadishu, three major telecom companies control the market and smarted out the public.

Very interesting. Thanks Waryaa.

''People of the same trade seldom meet together, even for merriment and diversion, but the conversation ends in a conspiracy against the public, or in some contrivance to raise prices'' - Adam Smith, The Wealth of Nations

I have heard of the lack of connection between companies. Why is this? They can't agree on a way to share profits and the costs of connecting different networks?

Also, you mentioned the $5 per month nationwide talk. Aren't all call packages nationwide? For example, if I'm with Olympic and go to Xamar...I won't receive a connection unless i'm on that plan?

[waryaa]

ultra, there's no regulatory body that forces them to do so and they seem to be happy the way they are now. In Somalia, you need a phone that can hold multiple SIM cards for different networks. The other problem is that they don't share towers and base stations like other telecoms in the world. They lack the art of working with the competition for your own benefits.

About the nationwide. Other plans have variable prices depending on where you are and destination.