Telecoms & IT
From The Report: Gabon 2013
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As mobile subscriber numbers are nearing saturation, future growth will be driven by the expansion into new products and services. In anticipation, mobile operators are working to introduce value-added services and improve overall network quality. In the meantime, operators are working to expand their infrastructure networks ahead of the switch to 3G. The current absence of 3G services means that the Gabonese market has considerable room for growth, despite the small size of the population.

With the arrival of the Africa Coast to Europe (ACE) fibre-optic cable and rising demand for digital services, Gabon’s IT sector is on the cusp of considerable growth. The increased bandwidth offered by the cable should drive down domestic costs for data access. Public investment in ICT has jumped in the last two years, in line with government aims to make the country a digital economy by 2016. State support is crucial to the success of these goals, but it is up to the private sector to develop the service offering in this relatively untapped market.

This chapter contains interviews with Alex Bernard Bongo Ondimba, President, National Agency for Digital Infrastructure and Frequencies (ANINF); and Manoj Kohli, Managing Director and CEO International, Bharti Airtel.

Articles from this Chapter

Overview

Clearer signals: As the mobile market approaches saturation, operators look to 3G and value-added services for growth
OBG
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Competition continues to grow in Gabon’s mobile telephony sector, as four operators vie for market share in a population of just 1.5m. As mobile subscriber numbers are nearing saturation, future growth will be driven by the expansion into new products and services. Two projects that have long been in the works – commercialisation of the new Africa Coast to Europe (ACE) fibre-optic cable and the launch of 3G service – are expected in the next 12 months. In anticipation of the rise in…

Interview

OBG talks to Alex Bernard Bongo Ondimba, President, National Agency for Digital Infrastructure and Frequencies (ANINF)
OBG
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Interview:Alex Bernard Bongo Ondimba How can local consumers benefit from the African Coast to Europe (ACE) cable? ALEX BONGO ONDIMBA: Despite the recent growth in access to telecommunications services, especially in the mobile phone segment, Gabon suffers from excessively high internet costs. This is partly due to the lack of broadband infrastructure; however, the ACE cable will help address this issue. While Gabon Telecom owns the rights to use this cable, and has international broadband…

Interview

OBG talks to Alex Bernard Bongo Ondimba, President, National Agency for Digital Infrastructure and Frequencies (ANINF)
OBG
plus

Interview:Alex Bernard Bongo Ondimba How can local consumers benefit from the African Coast to Europe (ACE) cable? ALEX BONGO ONDIMBA: Despite the recent growth in access to telecommunications services, especially in the mobile phone segment, Gabon suffers from excessively high internet costs. This is partly due to the lack of broadband infrastructure; however, the ACE cable will help address this issue. While Gabon Telecom owns the rights to use this cable, and has international broadband…

Overview

Getting online: New fibre-optic cable and growing competition should spur uptake
OBG
plus

With the arrival of the Africa Coast to Europe (ACE) fibre-optic cable and increasing demand for digital services, Gabon’s IT sector is on the cusp of considerable growth. The expansion of national bandwidth through the introduction ACE is likely to boost the number of internet users in the next one to two years, particularly in the fast-growing mobile segment. The entire IT market stands to benefit greatly from the more open environment, which will allow the introduction of new services, such…

Analysis

What a difference a year makes: With its public ICT strategy, government aims to make 2014 the “Year of the Internet”
OBG
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The IT sector in Gabon may still be in a nascent stage, but it is expected to leap ahead in the next two years with the pending launch of the Africa Coast to Europe (ACE) submarine fibre-optic cable. Under the Digital Gabon Plan, the state has committed to make the country a digital economy by 2016. While the current low level of internet penetration means that this will require considerable public and private sector effort to achieve, it also means there are significant opportunities for growth…