The global expansion of ICT has done much to shape and improve international relations both economically and socially, with unprecedented advances made in all aspects of life. However, there is an unequal distribution of these benefits, with developing countries and more specifically African countries such as Sudan gaining far less than their western counterparts.
Reasons to which this is attributed include a lack of preparation from those countries institutionally and operationally in running ICT systems, as well as an overall lack of awareness of the role ICT can play in the advancement of nation states.
In Sudan there has been a high correlation between the country’s economic development and telephone penetration. This correlation was one of the principal reasons for the privatisation of the telecommunications sector by the government in 1993 and the subsequent establishment of the Sudanese Telecommunications Company (SUDATEL) as a public shareholder company, split between the Government of Sudan and 37 private sector shareholders.
Domestic telecommunications in Sudan had historically been sparse, with the system suffering from poor maintenance. As recently as the early-1990s the country had less than 75,000 telephones, with 50,000 of those being in the Khartoum area. However, with a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of around 30 per cent since that period, the country’s fixed telephony market has grown significantly, with investment increased from US$500,000 in 1994 to over US$100 million in 2006.
There is however even further potential for development, with market penetration for fixed-line and Internet usage still at only 3 per cent and 6 per cent for mobile services. ADSL broadband services were introduced in 2004, while in July 2005 Investcom Holding announced that it had launched its Areeba Network in Sudan to become the second mobile phone operator in the country.
Meanwhile the majority share of Mobitel, Sudan's leading mobile network operator was sold to the Mobile Telecommunications Company (MTC) in February 2006 for a record price.
The recent signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) has also meant that the oil-rich southern region of Sudan has been able to establish its own individual telecommunications regime, creating huge new opportunities for service providers and equipment suppliers.
The formation of the new Unity Government of Sudan following the signing of the CPA provides an excellent opportunity for Sudan to improve its communications infrastructure. This opportunity should not be missed. |
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