State-owned telecom operator Gamtel has signed a $50 million partnership agreement to modernise The Gambia’s national internet backbone, in a move aimed at improving connectivity and reducing long-standing network bottlenecks.

The agreement, signed on Wednesday, is with Senegalese systems integrator SYSROAD SA Holding.

Under the project, the core network’s capacity will be upgraded from 50 gigabits per second to 800 Gbps, significantly increasing data throughput and strengthening the reliability of internet services nationwide.

Gamtel Managing Director Lamin A. Tunkara said the investment was critical to the country’s digital future.

“Today, we are not just upgrading capacity; we are investing in sovereignty, resilience and long-term economic growth. Connectivity is now the backbone of development,” he said.

Internet access and costs in The Gambia

Despite the presence of a national fibre-optic backbone, internet access in The Gambia remains costly and uneven.

While urban areas such as Banjul and the Greater Banjul Area enjoy relatively better coverage, rural communities continue to face slow speeds, frequent outages and limited access.

Mobile data is the primary means of internet access for most Gambians, but prices remain high relative to average incomes, making regular use unaffordable for many households and small businesses.

Fixed broadband penetration is low, and only a small proportion of the population is directly connected to the national fibre network.

A 2021 diagnostic study by the World Bank found that although more than 90 percent of the population lives within 10 kilometres of a fibre node, only a fraction of mobile sites and users are connected to the backbone.

The study cited frequent fibre cuts, maintenance challenges and high wholesale tariffs as major constraints, particularly in rural areas.

The Bank recommended greater private sector participation to improve efficiency, expand coverage and lower costs.

Gamtel said the new partnership is expected to address some of these challenges by increasing capacity and laying the foundation for more affordable internet services in the future.