Advisory Note from Lamin Darboe: On Internet Infrastructure and the Future of Gamtel

Subject: A Strategic Vision for Affordable Internet and Digital Sovereignty in The Gambia

Your Excellency,

As we prepare this manifesto, it is crucial to address one of the most pressing challenges facing Gambians today, poor internet service and digital infrastructure. Access to affordable, reliable internet is no longer a luxury; it is the backbone of national progress in education, commerce, healthcare, and governance.

1. The Current Situation

The Gambia’s connectivity relies heavily on the Africa Coast to Europe (ACE) submarine cable, managed by Gamtel through the Gambia Submarine Cable Company (GSC). While ACE brought international bandwidth closer to home, our national backbone infrastructure (ECOWAN/NBN) and local internet exchange (SIXP) are underutilized.

Despite these assets, ordinary citizens still face:

• High internet costs
• Unstable and slow connections
• Limited rural coverage
• Weak competition and regulatory enforcement

This shows that the problem is not the absence of infrastructure, it is the inefficient management and lack of modernization of what we already have.

2. The Issue of Gamtel Privatization

The ongoing privatization of Gamtel raises serious questions. While private investment can bring efficiency and capital, full privatization of a national backbone company carries major risks.

If Gamtel is privatized:

• The government may lose control over critical national infrastructure, including ACE landing rights and backbone fiber routes.
• Citizens could face higher wholesale costs, as private owners seek profit over public service.
• Strategic sectors such as national security, e-government, and education could become dependent on private interests.

3. A Better Alternative: Transforming Gamtel

Instead of selling Gamtel outright, we can transform it into a national infrastructure company,  a neutral, open-access provider that manages the country’s fiber network while allowing private ISPs to handle the retail (last-mile) services.

How this model works:

1. Separate infrastructure from service delivery.
   Gamtel focuses only on backbone fiber, international gateways, and data centers, not competing with ISPs for customers.
2. Adopt an open-access policy.
   Every licensed ISP can lease fiber capacity from Gamtel at transparent, regulated wholesale rates. This promotes fairness and competition.
3. Encourage private-sector innovation.
   Private companies and community networks can invest in last-mile connectivity (wireless, fiber-to-home, satellite) to reach more Gambians.
4. Public ownership, private efficiency.
   Gamtel remains majority-owned by the state, but its operations can be managed under a public–private partnership (PPP) to ensure professionalism and transparency.
5. National Broadband Fund.
   Revenues from Gamtel’s wholesale operations and telecom levies should feed into a Digital Infrastructure Fund to expand coverage in rural regions.

4. Proposed Five-Point Action Plan

1. Second International Gateway:
   Invest in a second submarine cable or regional cross-border fiber route to end reliance on a single ACE connection.
2. Infrastructure Modernization:
   Upgrade ECOWAN/NBN and link all public institutions, schools, hospitals, and government offices,  through a secure national fiber grid.
3. Open Access Regulation:
   PURA should enforce transparent, non-discriminatory access to Gamtel’s infrastructure for all operators.
4. Local Internet Ecosystem:
   Strengthen the SIXP and encourage local hosting of Gambian content to reduce costs and dependency on foreign data centers.
5. Digital Skills and Inclusion:
   Expand nationwide digital literacy programs and ensure every school has internet access at subsidized rates.

5. The National Vision

If implemented, these reforms will create a Digital Gambia, where internet access is affordable, fast, and reliable; where innovation thrives; and where our digital sovereignty is preserved.

This approach keeps Gamtel as a national asset, sustains citizen benefit, and empowers the private sector to drive last-mile growth, achieving balance between public control and private efficiency.

In summary:

Privatizing Gamtel may provide short-term relief but risks losing long-term national control. Transforming it into a modern, open-access infrastructure company will ensure both government and citizens continue to benefit, while unleashing competition, innovation, and inclusivity in the digital economy.

Respectfully,
Lamin Darboe
CEO of SkyNet Inc.