The rise of télécentres — a phone for everyone

Années 1990 · Dakar

In the 1990s, thousands of private phone shops — the télécentres — sprang up in every neighbourhood of Senegal. For a few coins, anyone could finally make a call, reach a relative or receive money from abroad. These small booths connected families, boosted small businesses and created thousands of jobs for young people. Senegal turned them into a model admired across Africa, until the arrival of the mobile phone.

Sources

• OpenEdition — histoire des télécommunications au Sénégal

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