Country profile: Senegal
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The operator Free Senegal and the World Bank have both confirmed plans to invest hefty sums in infrastructure and service development - $217 million from Free Senegal to take the country to 90% 4G coverage, and $250 million from the World Bank and the Senegalese government to improve rural connectivity.
On the theme of rural connectivity, May 2024 saw a further tranche of funding, this time from British International Investment (a development finance arm of the UK government). Consisting of $25 million in debt financing to operator Sonatel, this investment is notable in that it is the first investment in Francophone West Africa to be directly linked to sustainability and female empowerment.
In terms of connectivity indicators Senegal is heading in the right direction. The country’s mobile connections grew 8% in 2024 (helped by an agreement between the three main Senegalese operators to limit prices), and average fixed download speeds are up around 10% since this guide was produced in 2024. A Huawei collaboration with the National Electricity Company of Senegal to create a 2,000 km nationwide fibre backbone is now complete, with the Chinese company presenting the project as a case study at MWC 2024.
Finally, 2025 has seen data centre activity. PAIX Data Centres announced construction of a 1.2 MW data centre in the country’s capital Dakar in January 2025, scheduled to enter operation in 2026.
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