05 March 2024

Airtel Gabon and Moov Africa Gabon Telecom will provide radio coverage to 200 villages in Gabon located in ‘white zones’ still lacking mobile telephone and internet services.

This initiative is part of the second phase of ARCEP’s universal service development project. The first phase of the project was completed over 2016-2018. It consisted of the installation of 18 radio stations which currently provide mobile telephone and Internet services in 33 villages.

The relaunch of the universal service development project after a hiatus of approximately six years follows the instructions given by Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema, president of the Transition, to ARCEP to find lasting solutions to reduce the digital divide in the country. The regulator estimates that around 1,253 villages containing 6.5% of the Gabonese population have a deficit in mobile telephone and Internet coverage.

Coverage of white zones should make it possible to bring mobile phone and internet services to thousands of additional people. This will also allow telecom operators to increase their customer bases, as well as their revenues.