Everywhere you look, people are either texting or talking on their mobile. Very often they are shouting. While I was getting my hair cut, the hairdresser was on the phone. When commuting on the back of a motorbike, I regularly answer calls or text replies.
The main telecom companies, Africell, Celtel-Zain, Comium, and Tigo, offer similar pay-as-you-go phone rates on scratch cards. Since the country has virtually no land lines, the Internet is accessed via wireless slot cards or plug-in modems. But few can afford to buy a laptop or pay the monthly packages.
Earlier this year, Hirondelle Foundation, a Swiss organization that supports independent media in conflict zones, conducted a survey of media use in all of SL's 14 districts. A representative sample of 2,000 individuals aged 15 and older were interviewed. The results are telling:
* 75% own a battery-operated radio
* 40% own a cell phone
* 7% own a television
* 0.7% own a computer
* 0.3% access the Internet
Undeterred, the telecoms go to great lengths to raise their profile and attract new customers. In Freetown, they are responsible for what seems like the only fresh paint. In fact, the houses and fences bearing their respective logos look immensely cleaner and more inviting than the city's other commercial buildings and shabby government facilities.
They also pay small shack owners to plaster their colours on the outside and sell scratch cards.
Calls between subscribers of the same provider are cheaper, so many people carry two or three phones to save on units. Some devices are designed to hold two SIM cards, which reduces the fumbling when a call comes in, especially for women who tend to keep their phones in large handbags.
I am with Celtel, the company started in 1998 by Sudanese billionaire and philanthropist Mohamed Ibrahim. Celtel is now part of Zain, a multinational based in Kuwait. Zain operates in the Middle East and in 15 African countries. It has more than 50 million customers, but, just like its rivals, it is actively recruiting new ones. In addition to the ubiquitous publicity on billboards, spots on the radio, and full-page ads in the papers, the telecoms vie for attention through sponsorship deals and promotional events. The national stadium in Freetown is the site of more than sporting competitions: The outside is covered in Africell's colours and logo while the seats inside spell out Comium.
A few Sunday nights ago, as I was heading home from the beach, I came upon a lively stage show with music, comedians, and a t-shirt giveaway. I tried to resist but the enchanting siren call of free stuff reeled me in...
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