He went on to state that the reduction and the new bundle, will enable users in other cities to access quality service similar to what is obtained at the cable landing station in the capital, Freetown, and that it comes after re-engineering of the submarine and terrestrial infrastructure.

The senior executive further said the company will upgrade the country’s data capacity from 83G to 260G to enhance transmission and distribution of data for clients through direct connection of their backhaul base stations to the fibre cable.

The reduction is expected to significantly lower the cost of internet access, throughout the country, he said.
He added that the communications sector, which incorporates telecoms, contributes 3.8% towards Sierra Leone’s GDP.

According to SALCAB, of the 4.2 million telecoms service users in Sierra Leone, voice-related products account for 65% of revenue in the sector while Internet penetration is at 13% – broadband (2%) and mobile data via phones and dongles (11%).

Kebbay said most of the registered subscribers are multi-SIM users who yield US$3 ARPU/month. He cited existing telco’s current distribution models – which rely on microwave as the primary backhaul are a major challenge to market expansion but deprives 25% of the active population (about 1.7 million people) of access to either voice or internet service.

SALCAB is government-owned but incorporated as a limited liability company to regulate wholesale bandwidth and other related VAS providers in the country. It is the main partner of the Africa Coast to Europe (ACE) submarine cable in Sierra Leone.