Mauritius Telecom

Mauritius Telecom is the principal integrated telecommunications company in Mauritius, an island republic in the Indian Ocean. Its business spans fixed-line voice, mobile communications, internet access, broadband, fibre connectivity, data communications, and IPTV. The company serves consumers, businesses, and public-sector customers in the Mauritian market and has historically operated through a group of specialized subsidiaries, including Cellplus Mobile Communications, Telecom Plus, Teleforce, Call Services, MT Properties, MT International Ventures, and MT Services. The company was created in July 1992 through the merger of Overseas Telecommunications Services Ltd and Mauritius Telecommunication Services Ltd. The merger established a national telecommunications operator with responsibility for a broad range of voice and data services. Mauritius Telecom subsequently expanded beyond traditional fixed-line telephony into mobile communications and internet access. In 1996, its wholly owned subsidiary Cellplus Mobile Communications launched a GSM mobile network, while Telecom Plus introduced dial-up internet access later that year. A major strategic change occurred in November 2000, when France Telecom, now known as Orange S.A., acquired a 40 percent stake in Mauritius Telecom. The partnership provided an international technology and branding relationship and supported the introduction of broadband internet. In 2002, Telecom Plus launched broadband access under the Wanadoo brand, extending the company’s internet portfolio beyond dial-up services. Mauritius Telecom also became an early IPTV provider. In June 2006, the company and its associated businesses launched IPTV services under the my.t brand. This placed Mauritius among the early countries to introduce television distribution through an internet-protocol platform. In subsequent years, my.t developed into an umbrella brand covering fixed, mobile, broadband, and television services. The company undertook a major consumer-brand consolidation in 2008. On 17 April, its mobile and internet services were rebranded under Orange. Cellplus prepaid and postpaid offerings became Orange Prepay and Orange Post Pay, while Telecom Plus dial-up and Wanadoo ADSL became Orange Dial-Up and Orange ADSL. Mauritius Telecom later introduced fibre-optic broadband in 2013, reflecting the shift from legacy copper-based access toward higher-capacity connectivity. In May 2015, the company announced that all of its approximately 850,000 Orange mobile customers would receive free unlimited access to Facebook from 1 June. The initiative was a prominent example of a network operator using a social-media access offer to support mobile-data adoption and customer engagement. The Orange branding arrangement ended after ten years in September 2017. Mauritius Telecom then consolidated its products under the my.t identity, with the rebranding taking effect on 9 November 2017. The move returned the company to a unified local brand spanning its major telecommunications and entertainment services. The latest customer figures cited in the supplied reference material are for December 2019. At that point Mauritius Telecom had approximately 392,000 fixed-line customers, 969,000 mobile customers, 404,000 fibre-ready homes, 178,000 IPTV customers, and 255,000 broadband internet customers. These figures illustrate the company’s importance across both legacy and next-generation communications in Mauritius, although they should not be treated as current operating statistics.

Mauritius Telecom was established in July 1992 through the merger of Overseas Telecommunications Services Ltd and Mauritius Telecommunication Services Ltd. The new organization became the major provider of telecommunications services in Mauritius, covering voice communications, mobile services, internet access, and data connectivity. Its first major diversification came in 1996. Cellplus Mobile Communications, a wholly owned subsidiary, launched a GSM mobile network, giving Mauritius Telecom a dedicated mobile operating business. During the same year, another wholly owned subsidiary, Telecom Plus, launched dial-up internet access. These developments marked the company’s transition from a primarily fixed-line operator into a broader communications group. In November 2000, France Telecom, subsequently renamed Orange S.A., acquired a 40 percent interest in Mauritius Telecom. The strategic relationship influenced the company’s technology, services, and consumer branding during the following decade. Telecom Plus launched broadband internet access in 2002 using the Wanadoo brand, reflecting the growing importance of always-on internet services over dial-up access. Mauritius Telecom entered the television distribution market in June 2006, when IPTV services were launched under the my.t brand. The service used internet-protocol delivery to provide television programming and helped make Mauritius one of the early markets to introduce IPTV. The my.t name later became the group’s principal umbrella brand for a wider portfolio of fixed, mobile, broadband, and television products. On 17 April 2008, the company reorganized its consumer-facing identity around Orange. Cellplus prepaid and postpaid mobile services became Orange Prepay and Orange Post Pay. Telecom Plus dial-up and Wanadoo ADSL services were similarly renamed Orange Dial-Up and Orange ADSL. The rebranding reflected the company’s relationship with France Telecom and gave its principal consumer products a common international identity. The company introduced fibre-optic broadband in 2013 as the market moved toward higher-speed access networks. In May 2015, it announced a mobile-data promotion under which its approximately 850,000 Orange customers would receive free unlimited access to Facebook beginning on 1 June. The offer linked mobile service with a high-profile online platform and was intended to encourage engagement with mobile data services. The ten-year Orange branding agreement ended in September 2017. Mauritius Telecom subsequently undertook a broad product rebranding, bringing its fixed, mobile, broadband, and IPTV offerings back under the my.t name on 9 November 2017. This created a single local umbrella brand after the period in which Orange had been used across much of the company’s consumer portfolio. The company’s operating group has included Cellplus Mobile Communications Ltd, Telecom Plus Ltd, Teleforce Ltd, Call Services Ltd, MT Properties Ltd, the Mauritius Telecom Foundation, MT International Ventures Ltd, and MT Services Ltd. The supplied reference material reports that, in December 2019, Mauritius Telecom had about 392,000 fixed-line customers, 969,000 mobile customers, 404,000 fibre-ready homes, 178,000 IPTV customers, and 255,000 broadband internet customers. Those figures provide historical scale for the operator but are not presented here as current statistics.

1. 2017Products return to the my.t umbrella brand

   Following the end of the Orange branding agreement, Mauritius Telecom completes a broad rebranding under my.t on 9 November.

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2. 2013Fibre-optic broadband is introduced

   The company adds fibre-optic broadband to its connectivity portfolio.

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3. 2008Consumer services are rebranded as Orange

   Mobile and internet products are moved from Cellplus, Telecom Plus, and Wanadoo naming to Orange-branded offerings.

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4. 2006IPTV launches under my.t

   Mauritius Telecom launches IPTV services in June, making Mauritius an early IPTV market.

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5. 2002Broadband internet launches under Wanadoo

   Telecom Plus introduces broadband internet access using the Wanadoo brand.

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6. 2000France Telecom acquires a minority stake

   France Telecom acquires 40 percent of Mauritius Telecom, beginning a long-term strategic and branding relationship.

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7. 1996GSM mobile and dial-up internet services launch

   Cellplus launches a GSM network, while Telecom Plus introduces dial-up internet access.

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8. 1992Mauritius Telecom is formed

   Overseas Telecommunications Services Ltd and Mauritius Telecommunication Services Ltd merge in July to create Mauritius Telecom.

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A full-service national telecommunications operator combining fixed, mobile, broadband, fibre, data, and IPTV services under the my.t umbrella brand.

• Fixed-line telephonyFixed telecommunications

  Mauritius Telecom’s traditional fixed-line business provides voice connectivity in Mauritius. Fixed telephony remained a significant part of the company’s customer base even as mobile and internet services expanded. The December 2019 figures cited in the reference material indicate approximately 392,000 fixed-line customers.

• Mobile communicationsMobile telecommunications1996

  Mobile services originated through the Cellplus subsidiary, which launched a GSM network in 1996. The services were later branded Orange Prepay and Orange Post Pay, and were subsequently consolidated under the my.t identity. The portfolio includes prepaid and postpaid mobile connectivity and associated voice and data services.

• Broadband internetInternet access1996

  The company entered internet access through Telecom Plus dial-up services in 1996 and added broadband in 2002 under the Wanadoo brand. Broadband products were later marketed through Orange and then my.t. The portfolio includes fixed broadband and newer fibre-based access.

• Fibre broadbandFibre-optic connectivity2013

  Introduced in 2013, fibre-optic broadband expanded Mauritius Telecom’s network toward higher-speed fixed connectivity. The December 2019 reference figures cite approximately 404,000 fibre-ready homes, indicating the scale of the company’s fibre deployment at that time.

• my.t IPTVIPTV and television2006

  Launched in June 2006, my.t IPTV delivers television services using internet-protocol technology. The service helped establish Mauritius as an early IPTV market and later became part of a broader my.t umbrella encompassing fixed, mobile, broadband, and entertainment products.

• Business data and communications servicesEnterprise telecommunications

  Mauritius Telecom’s integrated portfolio includes data and communications services for business and institutional customers. The supplied reference material identifies data communications as one of the company’s core activities, although it does not provide a detailed current product catalogue.

• 2017my.t brand consolidation

  Mauritius

  After the Orange branding agreement ended, Mauritius Telecom moved its fixed, mobile, broadband, and IPTV products under the my.t umbrella brand.

  Outcome. The rebranding took effect on 9 November 2017 and established my.t as the company’s unified consumer-facing identity.

  Source
• 2015Free unlimited Facebook access

  Mauritius

  Mauritius Telecom announced that all of its approximately 850,000 Orange mobile customers would receive free unlimited access to Facebook from 1 June 2015.

  Outcome. The reference material records the launch of the offer but does not provide measured commercial results.

  Source

• 2017Return to a unified my.t brandStrategy

  The ten-year Orange branding agreement ended in September 2017.

  What changed. Mauritius Telecom rebranded all products under the my.t identity, with the change taking effect on 9 November 2017.

  Aftermath. my.t became the umbrella brand for fixed, mobile, broadband, and IPTV services.

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• 2013Fibre-optic broadband rolloutProduct launch

  Rising demand for faster internet access created pressure to move beyond legacy broadband technologies.

  What changed. Mauritius Telecom introduced fibre-optic broadband services.

  Aftermath. Fibre became a major part of the company’s fixed-network development; the cited December 2019 figures report 404,000 fibre-ready homes.

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• 2008Adoption of Orange consumer brandingStrategy

  Mauritius Telecom operated mobile and internet services through several subsidiary and product names, including Cellplus, Telecom Plus, and Wanadoo.

  What changed. The company rebranded its mobile and internet services as Orange, including Orange Prepay, Orange Post Pay, Orange Dial-Up, and Orange ADSL.

  Aftermath. Orange became the principal consumer brand for the company’s mobile and internet services until the branding agreement ended in 2017.

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• 2000Strategic investment by France TelecomM&A

  Mauritius Telecom was seeking an international strategic relationship as its business expanded into mobile and internet services.

  What changed. France Telecom acquired 40 percent of Mauritius Telecom in November 2000.

  Aftermath. The relationship supported subsequent broadband development and the use of Wanadoo and Orange branding.

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• 2017Mauritius Telecom completes return to the my.t brand

  After the Orange branding agreement ended, Mauritius Telecom rebranded its products under the unified my.t identity on 9 November 2017.

  CampaignLeadership change
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• 2015Mauritius Telecom announces unlimited Facebook access for Orange mobile customers

  The company announced that its Orange mobile customers would receive free unlimited access to Facebook from 1 June 2015.

  CampaignPricing
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• 2013Mauritius Telecom introduces fibre-optic broadband

  Mauritius Telecom expanded its broadband portfolio with fibre-optic connectivity, supporting higher-capacity internet access in Mauritius.

  Product launchProduct generation
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1. Mauritius Telecom