Telecommunication
Infrastructure | Informatics
| ICT Training and
Development | Broadcasting/Media
Telecommunication
Infrastructure
In May 1988, the Government of
Mauritius took a decision to separate the functions of regulation and operation in
telecommunications by abolishing the Department of Telecommunications which, until then,
had been responsible for both functions. The Telecommunication Act 1988 established a Telecommunication
Authority to take over the regulatory function for the telecommunications sector.
A Telecommunication Advisory Council was simultaneously set up to advise the Minister
responsible for telecommunications, on all matters relating to telecommunications.
At the same time, the
Telecommunication (Transfer) Act 1988 was enacted to transfer the undertaking of the
Department of Telecommunications to Mauritius Telecommunications Services Ltd. This
company was incorporated in April 1988 to take over operations of telecommunications in
Mauritius. In 1992, the company changed its name to Mauritius Telecom, following a merger of the domestic
and international service operations. The international services were, until then, being
offered by the Overseas Telecommunications Services Ltd.
Since 1988, the government has
continued to be indirectly involved in the operations of telecommunications through mjaor
share holding in Mauritius Telecom.
Mauritius Telecom currently holds a
monopoly over the international gateway as well as over basic telephone services, text,
data and Internet services. The two main data services are:
Mauridata is a
Packet Switched Data Network which offers both dedicated and dial-in access.
Maurinis is an ISDN (Integrated Service Digital Network) service which enables you
to:
- surf the Internet at up to 128
Kbps - at least four times faster than analogue modems;
- phone and fax or file transfer and
browse the Internet at the same time with only one pair of line;
- hold a videoconferencing or join a
collaborative work team whose members are all over the globe;
- send faxes and transfer data at
high speeds.
Teledensity:
- Total: 23.53
(2000)
- Largest cities:
31.85 (2000)
- Rest of the country:
22.34 (2000)
Digital main lines: 100.00%
(2000)
Waiting list for a telephone
line:
- Total: 18,900
(2000)
- Average waiting time:
1 year (2000)
- Total demand (k):
299.8 (2000)
- Satisfied demand (%):
93.7 (2000)
Telephone Tariff
(2000):
| PSTN
connection charge - residential |
US$ 38 |
| PSTN
connection charge - business |
US$ 76 |
| PSTN
monthly subscription - residential |
US$ 2.3 |
| PSTN
monthly subscription - business |
US$3.8 |
| PSTN
three minute local call |
n.a. |
Source:
African Telecommunication Indicators 2001
Public telephones: 2,920
(2000)
Public telephones per 1,000
inhabitants: 2.45 (2000)
Mobile cellular subscribers:
180,000 (2000)
Emtel Ltd., 46% owned by Millicom International Cellular (M.I.C.) S.A,
based in Luxembourg, launched the first ETACS-based cellular network in 1989.
In 1996, Cellplus Mobile
Communications Ltd., a subsidiary of Mauritius Telecom, launched a GSM900
cellular network.
Emtel still has
the larger share of the mobile market in Mauritius.
Mauritius Telecom and Singapore
Telecom operate a nationwide paging company called Teleservices. This
joint venture competes with the privately-owned Paging Services Ltd.
Cellular subscribers as a % of
total telephone subscribers: 39.1 (2000)
Mobile cellular tariffs (2000):
| Connection
charge |
US$ 19 |
| Monthly
subscription |
US$4.8 |
| 3
minutes local call (peak) |
US$ 0.15 |
| 3
minutes local call (off-peak) |
US$ 0.13 |
Source:
African Telecommunication Indicators 2001
Telecommunications revenue
(M US$): 144.8 (2000)
Telecommunications
investment (M US$): 54.5 (2000)
Telecommunications
investment as a % of revenue: 37.6 (2000)
Telecom equipment exports
(M US$): 1.0 (1999)
Telecom equipment imports
(M US$): 42.8 (1999)
Telecentres: na
Facsimiles: 28,000
(1998)
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Informatics
The Government of Mauritius has
been active in the promotion of information and communication technology in every
socio-economic sphere and steering the country towards the information age.
The National Computer Board (NCB) was established in 1988 as a parastatal body by the Government of Mauritius. NCB
is under the responsibility of the Ministry of Telecommunication and Information
Technology. NCB has the following major objectives:
to foster the
development and growth of information technology, information systems and computer related
services in Mauritius;
to advise the
Government on the formulation of national policies in respect of the promotion,
development and control of information technology and its applications;
to assist in the
framing of appropriate national education, training and research plans in the field of
information technology in order to build the necessary expertise base for consolidating
the information technology industry in Mauritius; and
to recommend
legislative proposals for ensuring data protection, security and other related matters.
NCB is the
programme manager for the National IT Strategy Plan (NITSP)
developed as part of the Government's strategic objectives to accelerate Mauritius’ transformation into a nation where IT
would be fully exploited to improve business competitiveness, civil service efficiency and
effectiveness as well as to encourage IT diffusion at national level so as to help achieve
an information-based economy.
The computerisation of
various governmental agencies dates back to 1989 with the setting up of the following four
major players: National
Computer Board (NCB), Central Informatics Bureau (CIB),
State Informatics Limited (SIL) and State
Informatics Training Centre Limited (SITRAC).
Government’s investment on computerisation in the Civil Service has so far been
around Rs 410 million and this amount covers hardware, software and training. There are
quite a number of major IT projects presently under implementation. As of 1998, some
2,200 PCs (486-based processor or above) and 2,000 printers are in use in the Civil
Service, and over 12,000 civil servants have followed an induction course in
computing in relation to the nature of their work.
The Central Information Systems Division
was established under the Ministry of Telecommunications and
Information Technology with the following major objectives:
- To develop, implement and maintain
computer systems for Central and Departmental applications in the Public Sector;
- To provide support to
Ministries/departments in database management, system administration, network management,
computer operations and data capture;
- To run inter-ministerial computer
systems and upkeep common databases;
- To provide first-level installation
and maintenance support on standard office software;
- To provide technical assistance in
terms of computer software and related service.
The Mauritius Computer Society (MCS)
was established in 1998 with the following objectives:
- To be the computer society for
members to add value to their careers and personal development;
- To contribute in developing
Mauritius into a computer literate nation;
- To boost IT in all the sectors of
the Mauritian economy;
- To build and maintain excellence
in the IT profession;
- To promote the benefits of
membership to this society.
Computer
per 100 inhabitants: 10.05 (2000)
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ICT
Training and Development
The Faculty of Engineering of the University of
Mauritius has two departments providing training in information and
communication technologies:
- Department of Electrical and
Electronic Engineering
- Computer Science and Engineering
(CSE) Department
The Industrial and
Vocational Training Board (IVTB) provides training in telecommunications.
A number of private
companies, including State
Informatics Training Centre Limited (SITRAC) are
involved in the provision of training courses in information and communication
technologies.
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Broadcasting/Media
The
Mauritius Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) is the state-owned operator offering
locally-produced radio and television programmes. There are five radio channels and FM and
AM operating on a 24-hour basis.
The MBC provides three
local TV channels broadcasting in all major languages. There are two private pay channels
which have been operational since 1995.
With the
liberalisation of the broadcasting sector, the private sector is setting up joint ventures
to provide satellite TV in Mauritius.
Radios per
100 inhabitants: 36.7 (1995)
Television
receivers per 100 inhabitants: 26.8 (2000)
Pay TV
decoders: na
Cable TV
subscribers: na
Home
satellite dishes/antennas: 10,000 (2000)
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