Sector: Communication & ICT

Gamtel provide telecommunication Service (Voice Telephony and Data Services), data services (FTTx, ADSL2+, Lease line Service, IP-MPLS / VPN Services and 3G Internet Services and provision of Dark Fibre from Africa Coast to Europe (ACE) to customer Head Offices.

Gambia Telecommunication company ltd is the primary provider of telecommunication in the Gambia, the state owned, Limited Liability Company with the Gambia Government owning 99% of shares and Gambia Ports Authority owning 1% of shares. The company has steadily created a modern efficient network infrastructure using state-of-art-technology to respond to the increasing demand of dynamic market.

• Gamtel offer Fibre connections for Cooperate customers
• Provide 3G services to the mass market
• Provide CDMA networks
• Web hosting & Design, Email Services
• ADSL Internet services
• Provide telecommunication engineering training for young and aspiring engineers

The Gambia Telecommunications Company Limited (Gamtel) was incorporated as a private limited liability company under the Companies Act 1955 as amended under Cap. 95. 02 of the Laws of The Gambia 1990. is the principal telecommunication company in the Gambia task of overseeing the provision of telecommunications and internet service in the country.  Fixed Wireless CDMA voice and data, ISDN, ADSL, SHDSL, local and international VPN Leased Circuits etc. Gamtel is 99% owned by the government and 1% by Gambia National Insurance Company Limited. In 1993 it commence the task of creating the Gambia radio and television services, a company that operates the nation\'s Radio and television industry. Gamtel is currently the only licensed fix line operator in the country and commence business on April 1, 1984. The company took over the operations of the Gambia Telecommunications Department and Cable & wireless PLC.

It started operation with few analogue stronger exchanges for switching and few analogue transmission links to connect the rural town with some services and build a standard B Earth station in 1979 to connect to the outside world, Mainly the United Kingdom.

Between 1984 and 1986 it acquired its first digital exchange, an Alcatel E10B equipped for the greater Banjul area Telecommunication project phase 1 and phase 11 of the urban Telecommunication implemented to extend the service. The multi-Access radio telephone (IRT 2000) rural network was deployed in URR to connect the rural network to the Greater Banjul Area network and a 400 km fiber-optic cable using PDH technology was laid between Serrekunda and Basse. A digital telex switch was commissioned in 1990 and the company financed and commissions its first major project, an analogue cellular mobile service in 1992. Gamtel commissioned a subsidiary GSM company (Gamcel) following its award of a license to operate GSM mobile service in 2000. Gamtel continue to steadily increase the size of its network and coverage. An internet Gateway was co-sponsored by UNDP under its internet initiativefor Africa

Gamtel also upgraded its overseas internet bandwidth from 2 STM-1s to 3 STM-1s which enhanced the total capacity of their network from 310 Megabits to 465 Megabits and up to 14 Megabits via satellite.

Currently with the ACE cable Gamtel alone has activate 2 STM-1s and 1 STM-4 with the likelihood of expanding to double it in the next one or two years. Ownership in the ACE Gambia segment – Gambia Submarine Cable is 30% whiles the Government share is 19% which is likely to be manage by Gamtel as we are owned by them.

During the years of operations Gamtel has achieved:

• Implementation of submarine cable to the Gambia

Form Gambia Telecommunication and Multimedia Institute to provide telecommunication engineering training to train aspiring telecoms engineer for the company.

• Setup GSM company (Gamcel) to provide GSM communication to the Gambian populace
• Introduces Service digital network (ISDN), Virtual Private Network and Internet Service provider (ISP)
• Formation of Gambia Radio and Television services to provide news and entertainments to the Gambians
• Gamtel signed a contract with Chinese network equipment provider Huawei Technologies for the implementation of Gambia\'s component of the ECOWAS wide area network (ECOWAN).
• Implementation of CDMA (Fixed Wireless Technology and web-portal project at the Gamtel Multimedia institute 
• The first ever 3G CDMA network launch in the Gambia in 2011
• Launching of Africa Coast to Europe (ACE) fibre-cable project

Current projects:

• New Generation Network (NGN) through the ECOWAN project sponsored by IDB
• Gamtel Fibre (FTTB) project
• Gamtel 3G Data Services
• Gamtel connected to ACE with an increase bandwidth of 1550 Megabits
• MPLS CORE network enables Gamtel offer its customers a variety of MPLS/VPN services like Intranet-VPN, Internet connectivity, managed VPNs and different service levels through QoS deployment.
• Africa Coast to Europe (ACE) project

The company is looking to be a regional, in order words a regional hub for transit

Expansion and with high focus on data i.e. broadband services and other related data services for corporate and non-corporate.

Being the national incumbent the company is looking at open access as a means of accommodating other operators and ISPs. In order words the future is looking at Gamtel as a telecom for the telecoms operators just as we said Central banks being the bankers bank

Expand more on evolving and new technology as to coming of the ECOWAN project

Move from almost being a fixed land line company to become a versatile retailer and wholesaler in all forms of service with more focus on wireless facilities to cover uncovered areas where the fixed cannot get to.

More important making sure we are less dependent on international call termination.

Well develop and well capacities workforce with a healthy working environment and proper motivation.

The idea is at least be on the top ten in Africa within the next 10 years. We use to be the 2^nd in Africa in the early 90s.

Gamtel has always played a role in the international telecoms arena, since its inception in 1984.

• Currently there is a bilateral relationship between Gamtel and Sonatel, which led to the construction and laying of a fiber cable from Senegal to the Gambia. A project that has really help alleviates a lot of constraints in the country especially when the only international submarine cable in the country has a problem. Traffic is then redirected through this link from Senegal.
• The ECOWAN project is more than have way gone, is regional integration project that will link West African countries through their major cities, to which Gambia is not an exception. Through this project Gamtel is able to revamp its core network, OSS/BSS, Transmission and Power and the environment infrastructure.
• There are lot partnership requests currently with Gamtel from a lot of international players, like international carriers, suppliers and Agents.
• Plans are also on the way to expand to some neighboring countries like Guinea Bissau and beyond.
• Due to its fixed network and fiber optic a lot corporate in telecoms companies are working with it to connect from the Gambia to other countries in the world especially the region. These are like banks that operate in many countries and want them connected.
• Gamtel is a member of the International Telecommunication Union with a lot of support from them too.
• It is a member of the Africa Coast to Europe (ACE) submarine cable.