Mauritanian Regulator Awards Satellite Communications Licences
Mauritania’s telecoms regulator has provisionally awarded new satellite communications licences as part of efforts to strengthen national connectivity and expand access in underserved areas.
The Autorité de Régulation launched the competitive tender in January 2026, covering personal mobile satellite communications services using geostationary systems, and the sale of satellite capacity in Mauritania. The process attracted interest from 13 companies, with nine formal bids submitted.
BRAINSAT ranked first in both categories, submitting bids of $800,000 for the personal mobile satellite communications licence and $3 million for the satellite capacity licence. VMD ranked second for the first lot, while Mattel ranked second for satellite capacity.
The regulator has named BRAINSAT and VMD as provisional awardees for personal mobile satellite communications, and BRAINSAT and Mattel as provisional awardees for satellite capacity. However, the awards to VMD and Mattel are conditional on both companies aligning their financial offers with the regulator’s reference prices. If they decline, the next-ranked bidders may be approached.
The licensing round comes as Mauritania continues to face significant connectivity gaps. With internet penetration at around 37%, satellite services are expected to play an important role in extending coverage beyond the reach of terrestrial networks.
For Mauritania, expanding satellite communications capacity could support rural connectivity, government services, enterprise applications and resilience in remote areas. The process also reflects a broader trend across African markets, where regulators are using satellite licensing to improve broadband availability and diversify national connectivity infrastructure.