Telecoms & IT
From The Report: Gabon 2012
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The telecoms industry is being redefined by a move toward mobile technology. Mobile subscriptions reached 2.37m in 2011, an increase of 112% since 2007. The mobile market is highly competitive, with four competing operators. With the penetration rate currently reaching the saturation point, operators will have to begin offering new services such as mobile broadband at lower rates to maintain a competitive edge. While a 3G licence has already been awarded, no services have as yet been rolled out. If the eventual introduction of 3G services is successful and affordable for mobile customers, it is expected that these will contribute to the continued steady expansion of the sector. Major changes are under way in the IT sector, with significant investments taking place in digital infrastructure. The installation of a second fibre-optic cable is expected to reduce the cost of access to broadband internet – a move which should help solve the problem of low internet penetration, which currently stands at approximately 18%. The government is also planning for the creation of seven IT flagship zones, which are intended to serve as incubators for small businesses, and is also facilitating a switch toward e-government services.

This chapter contains an interview with Alex Bernard Bongo Ondimba, President, National Agency for Digital Infrastructure and Frequencies (ANINF).

Articles from this Chapter

Overview

Stay receptive: A move towards mobile technology is redefining the sector
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In a country with a population of 1.5m, Gabon’s four operators are fiercely competing to grab market share. After an aborted attempt to introduce 3G technology through a biding process, the Regulatory Agency for Electronic Communications and Postal Services (Agence de Régulation des Communications Electroniques et des Postes, ARCEP) granted a licence to Celtel Gabon, known as Airtel, which is still to launch its 3G services. The launch of 3G could push Gabon’s telecoms sector towards the…

Analysis

In the palm of your hand: Several new mobile options are being heavily promoted
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Despite promising announcements, a number of delays have kept Gabon’s citizens from benefitting from 3G services. Consequently, government mobile services do not exist yet and private mobile services remain very limited, though Airtel has begun initial attempts to introduce mobile payment solutions. The government, through several initiatives, such as the implementation of the “Cloud Gabon” project, the expansion of a mobile broadband network and the creation of IT flagship zones, is…

Overview

Linked in: New connectivity plans under way, including a second undersea cable
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The government of Gabon has made of the use of IT a priority within its development strategy. Indeed, the Digital Gabon plan aims at creating a digital economy, in order to diversify Gabon’s economic activities away from the traditional exploitation of natural resources. The plan is now taking shape following significant investments in IT infrastructure and decisive measures taken by a newly created implementing agency. With the installation of a second international fibre-optic cable, Gabon…

Analysis

Coming to screens near you: Television providers are getting ready for digital transition
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The Ministry of Digital Economy, Communication and Postal Services is responsible for designing Gabon’s strategy for the transition from analogue broadcasting to digital broadcasting, in order to meet the deadline fixed by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). UHF analogue TV must be abandoned by 2015, whereas VHF analogue TV (generally used for public TV channels) is set to disappear by 2020. The National Agency for Digital Infrastructure and Frequencies is in charge of implementing…