Orange Sierra Leone has discontinued its widely used Kolat unlimited data bundle, citing mounting sustainability concerns, rising operating costs, and growing pressure on network quality.
The Kolat offer, introduced in May 2024, quickly gained nationwide popularity and boosted internet traffic on Orange’s network by more than 80% within months. But despite its success, the company says the package proved economically unsustainable.
According to the operator, the surge in usage significantly increased the cost of purchasing internet bandwidth. While traffic volume soared, data revenue grew at a rate five times lower. This imbalance placed a heavy financial burden on the company, even though the Le60 unlimited bundle was used by less than 3% of subscribers.
Orange also reported extreme cases of overuse, with some customers consuming up to one terabyte of data per month through multiple Kolat subscriptions. The company noted that such behaviour caused congestion and slowed network speeds for the majority of users, despite continued investments in infrastructure upgrades.
Before removing the Kolat bundle, Orange says it fully complied with Sierra Leone’s telecommunications regulations. The company emphasized that the withdrawal followed all legal and procedural requirements, reflecting what it called its commitment to transparency and national regulatory standards.
The unlimited package, according to the company, placed severe strain on the network—particularly in densely populated areas—resulting in widespread slow speeds and service degradation. Continued stress from a small number of heavy users, Orange said, threatened the overall stability of the network and the experience of ordinary subscribers.
Orange clarified that discontinuing the Le60 unlimited bundle does not signal a general data price increase. Popular bundles such as the Le15 daily 1Mbps plan, the Le40 three-day 2Mbps offer, and the Le100 weekly bundle remain unchanged.
Industry data referenced by the company suggests that Sierra Leone offers the cheapest mobile data in Africa, with prices averaging around $0.10 (Le2.4) per megabyte—far below the $1 to $5 range seen in other countries.
The company says customers were informed two weeks before the withdrawal, using SMS, social media, radio, and television announcements. The notice was intended to give subscribers time to adjust and select alternative packages.
To cope with increased demand generated by the Kolat offer, Orange invested heavily in network expansion. More than 2,800 sites were upgraded to 4G, international capacity rose from 27Gbps to 41.5Gbps, and 46 new densification sites were deployed across major cities including Freetown, Bo, Kenema, and Makeni. Despite these upgrades, the company argued that sustaining such investments for a small section of heavy users was not feasible.
In its statement, Orange reiterated its commitment to providing affordable and reliable internet access nationwide, stating: “We will continue to invest in our network, improve access, and deliver sustainable solutions that benefit all our customers,” the company said.
