Ministry of Communication Technologies launches a call for tenders to provide 5G mobile telecommunications services

Tunis: The Ministry of Communication Technologies launched a call for tenders to award licences for the installation and operation of a public telecommunications network in Tunisia to provide fifth-generation (5G) mobile telecommunications services, as part of the State's strategy for the digital development of the national territory, aimed at upgrading the digital infrastructure and extending broadband coverage nationwide. The ministry called in a press release on Sunday, for interested operators to submit their bids to the central registry of the Ministry of Communication Technologies no later than September 2, 2024, specifying that the opening of bids is public. A general session will be devoted to the public opening of the envelopes comprising the administrative, financial, technical and economic file, on September 2, 2024 in the presence of all bidders who will be invited to attend. Tunisia currently counts three public mobile telecommunications network operators (2G, 3G, 4G): Tunisie Télecom, Ooreedo Tunisie and Orange Tunisie, as well as two mobile virtual network operators and several internet service providers such as Orange Tunisie Internet, GlobalNet, Hexabyte, Bee, Nety, Next Step, Topnet and the Tunisian Internet Agency (ATI). The total number of mobile phone subscribers stands at 16,258,517, with a rate of 136.5%, while the overall number of mobile internet subscribers stands at 11,583,616, with a rate of 97.2%, according to the Ministry (National Telecommunications Authority, February 29, 2024). The Prime Ministry set up a special committee at the Ministry of Communication Technologies, tasked with devising the preparatory stages for the provision of 5G mobile communications services in Tunisia. Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse