Telecommunications: planned expansion of MT in Africa

The national telecommunications company, Mauritius Telecom (MT) is examining possibilities to expand its activities on the continent. According to the Bloomberg news agency, the company is evaluating certain potential acquisitions of operations as part of its strategic initiative to diversify outside the Mauritius market.

MT is studying possibilities in Seychelles, Madagascar, Republic of the Congo and Ghana, Kapil Reesaul, the company's CEO told Bloomberg. Although an expansion of its activities through an existing mobile operator is expected, the company will not limit itself to mobile communications.

“We have the resources and the capacity to invest. We have the support of recognized banks, based on our good financial establishment. This is why we are looking for new markets and particular niches where we are confident of replicating what we have accomplished so far in Mauritius,” underlined the CEO of MT.

Currently, MT has invested $55 million (approximately Rs 2.5 billion) in a new submarine fiber optic cable network connecting Mauritius and the west coast of South Africa. The next step will be the extension to India and Singapore at an estimated cost of $120 million (around Rs 5.5 billion), revealed Kapil Reesaul. MT is in talks with Indian operators as well as Orange SA and Cable & Wireless of Seychelles for this purpose.