Somalia’s telecom market has been sustained despite infinite difficulties. The country’s economy has made it difficult to sustain investment in infrastructure, and the Al Shabaab Islamic militant group has on occasion forced the closure of internet services in many areas of the country.
However despite the anarchy which continues to disrupt the country, the telecoms market, dominated by the competitive mobile sector where several operators compete for customers, has flourished.
Mobile telecommunications have had a positive impact on the economy of Somalia, despite the lack of regulation. Private and unlicensed mobile companies using satellites for international communications have emerged to serve the high demand for communications. Fixed lines and mobile phones are being offered by many telecommunication operators such as: Golis Telecom Somalia, Hormuud, NationLink Telecom, Somali Telecom Group, Galkom, Global Internet Company, Telcom, Netco, Somafone, Telcom Puntland, and Telenet International. Starting in 2012, many mobile operators began launching 3G services in Somaliland and soon expanded to other regions. A number of telecommunication operators are offering LTE services in the region, including Somtel International and Telesom, both of which are based in Somaliland, while Globalsom and Sahal Telecom have launched time division duplex LTE (TD-LTE) networks in Mogadishu. In 2015, global satellite service provider O3b Networks signed satellite connectivity contracts with three Somalia telecommunication operators.
Hormuud Telecom is Somalia’s largest operator with over 4 million subscribers. They recently announced ambitious plans to increase their 4G telecom coverage to 100% by 2023.
Currently 4G access is primarily limited to major cities, and Somalis in rural areas often do not enjoy the same level of network access. As such, 30% of Hormuud’s 3.6 million customers still rely on its 2G network – the majority of which live in rural areas.
Hormuud began expanding its 4G network capacity in 2015 in partnership with the Somalia ministry of telecommunications, w
