Gamtel
Encyclopedia
Gamtel, or is the principal telecommunications company of The Gambia
. It is a state company, charged with the task of overseeing the provision of telecommunications and internet
service in the country. In association with Gamtel's internet
company, Gamnet, it has successfully built Gambia's internet infrastructure
. The company was established in 1990 by an act of parliament
as the single licensed telecommunications services provider in the country, with its stock 99% owned by the government of the Gambia, and the remaining 1% owned by the Gambia National Insurance Company. In 1993 it commenced the task of creating the Gambia Radio and Television Service, a company
that operates the nation's radio
and television
industry. Gamtel currently employs over 1,000 people and its main offices
are at Gamtel House in Banjul
.
In 2007 Gamtel was partially privatised with 50% of its equity sold to Spectrum Group, a telecommunications company of Lebanon, due to financial problems at Gamtel. The merger came to an end after only one year, when Gamtel declined to renew the Spectrum management contract
. It is not clear if Spectrum still owns a significant part of Gamtel.
The Gambia
The Republic of The Gambia, commonly referred to as The Gambia, or Gambia , is a country in West Africa. Gambia is the smallest country on mainland Africa, surrounded by Senegal except for a short coastline on the Atlantic Ocean in the west....
. It is a state company, charged with the task of overseeing the provision of telecommunications and internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
service in the country. In association with Gamtel's internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
company, Gamnet, it has successfully built Gambia's internet infrastructure
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
. The company was established in 1990 by an act of parliament
Act of Parliament
An Act of Parliament is a statute enacted as primary legislation by a national or sub-national parliament. In the Republic of Ireland the term Act of the Oireachtas is used, and in the United States the term Act of Congress is used.In Commonwealth countries, the term is used both in a narrow...
as the single licensed telecommunications services provider in the country, with its stock 99% owned by the government of the Gambia, and the remaining 1% owned by the Gambia National Insurance Company. In 1993 it commenced the task of creating the Gambia Radio and Television Service, a company
Company
A company is a form of business organization. It is an association or collection of individual real persons and/or other companies, who each provide some form of capital. This group has a common purpose or focus and an aim of gaining profits. This collection, group or association of persons can be...
that operates the nation's radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
and television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
industry. Gamtel currently employs over 1,000 people and its main offices
Office
An office is generally a room or other area in which people work, but may also denote a position within an organization with specific duties attached to it ; the latter is in fact an earlier usage, office as place originally referring to the location of one's duty. When used as an adjective, the...
are at Gamtel House in Banjul
Banjul
-Transport:Ferries sail from Banjul to Barra. The city is served by the Banjul International Airport. Banjul is on the Trans–West African Coastal Highway connecting it to Dakar and Bissau, and will eventually provide a paved highway link to 11 other nations of ECOWAS.Banjul International Airport...
.
In 2007 Gamtel was partially privatised with 50% of its equity sold to Spectrum Group, a telecommunications company of Lebanon, due to financial problems at Gamtel. The merger came to an end after only one year, when Gamtel declined to renew the Spectrum management contract
Management contract
A management contract is an arrangement under which operational control of an enterprise is vested by contract in a separate enterprise which performs the necessary managerial functions in return for a fee. Management contracts involve not just selling a method of doing things but involves...
. It is not clear if Spectrum still owns a significant part of Gamtel.
External links
- Gambia Telecommunications Company (Gamtel) official page
- allAfrica, The Banjul Daily Observer, article 'Gambia: New Interim Board for Gamtel' dated 2 Dec 2008, retrieved 24 Jan 2009
- Cipaco, article 'The Gambia : Gamtel paves the way to cyberspace' 31 Aug 2006, retrieved Jan 24 2009
- Department Of State For Communications, Information & Information Technology, The Gambia