Tunisia's mobile operators launch 5GTunisia's mobile operators launch 5G

Less than three months after receiving 5G licenses, Orange Tunisie, Ooredoo Tunisie and Tunisie Télécom all launched their 5G mobile services late last week.

The launches come after the country announced that 5G services would be rolled out by the middle of February 2025.

In July 2024, the Tunisian Ministry of Communication Technologies called for tenders to award 5G operating licenses. 

The three telcos met all technical and administrative criteria and obtained the licenses.

Tunisian telecom operators each received 5MHz of Time Division Duplex (TDD) spectrum in the 700MHz band and 100MHz (TDD) in the 3.5GHz band.

Further 5G frequency bands will be announced in later deployment phases, and licenses will be valid for 15 years.

Orange Tunisie 5G launch

Orange Tunisie has introduced mobile 5G service alongside a fixed wireless access (FWA) router equipped with Wi-Fi 6 and a "Turbo option" specifically designed for gamers and streaming enthusiasts.

The telco said even though its 5G deployment is gradual, it currently has 400 5G sites operational in several regions and is working to expand coverage to all governorates.

Governorates are the primary level of administrative division in Tunisia, each headed by a governor. 

The operator added that it has also launched a 5G Lab near its Orange Digital Center in the Berges du Lac district of Tunis that showcases demonstrations of potential enterprise 5G use cases such as Industry 4.0, health and education.

Related:Tunisia calls for tenders to provide 5G

Ooredoo Tunisie deploys 5G

As part of its 5G launch, Ooredoo Tunisia introduced "Fix Jdid 5G," an FWA 5G service for homes and offices, promising data speeds of up to 100 Mbit/s.

"Fix Jdid 5G" is a service introduced by Ooredoo Tunisia as part of its 5G rollout. It offers FWA 5G connectivity for homes and offices, delivering ultra-fast internet speeds of up to 100 Mbit/s. (The name "Fix Jdid" translates to New Fixed in English.)

The 5G launches come after the country announced that 5G services would be rolled out by the middle of February 2025. (Source: Image by freepik)

"5G is more than just a network upgrade. We see it as a foundation for the future. With ultra-fast speeds, lower latency, and greater capacity, 5G will accelerate Tunisia's digital economy, support startups, and enable transformative applications across industries," said Ooredoo Tunisia CEO Mansoor Rashid Al-Khater.

He said the launch of 5G in Tunisia is a significant step forward in Ooredoo's journey to empower communities through world-class connectivity.

"Across our markets, we have seen how 5G fuels economic growth, fosters innovation and creates new opportunities for businesses and individuals alike. We are proud to bring this cutting-edge technology to Tunisia, reinforcing our commitment to driving digital progress across the region," the CEO explained.

Tunisie Télécom joins its 5G peers

In its 5G launch, Tunisie Télécom, which recently partnered with the Medusa Submarine Cable System, highlighted the advantage of its extensive fiber deployments backing its 5G network.

"The 5G service will provide users with significantly higher upload and download speeds compared to 4G. It will enhance high-speed streaming services and optimize all existing infrastructure across the regions, which has been established by the national telecom operator," explained Tunisie Télécom CEO Lassâad Ben Dhiab.

The CEO pointed out that the addition of a new submarine cable, which will become operational in about a year, will bring a qualitative leap in services.

Tunisia mobile ecosystem

The introduction of 5G services in the country will be a nice addition to the country's mobile ecosystem.

Statistics from market research company Omdia, a sister company of Connecting Africa, show that Tunisia has three mobile telecommunications network operators that operate 2G, 3G and 4G networks.

According to Omdia, Ooredoo Tunisie was the largest telecom operator in the country at the end of the fourth quarter of 2024, with an estimated 6.4 million mobile subscribers.

Orange Tunisie had over 4.6 million users, while Tunisie Télécom had 4.3 million mobile subscribers over the same period.