Among African countries, Burundi offers an attractive telecommunications market given its high population density and existing low penetration rates for all services.
However, a downside for investors is that the country has very low economic output, disposable income is also very low, and landline infrastructure is poor outside of major urban areas. In practice, investors are more motivated to focus on improving mobile networks than expanding fixed telephony infrastructure.
To overcome the difficulties associated with the poor telecommunications infrastructure, the government has supported a number of leading telecommunications companies in the construction of a national fiber backbone network. This network provides further connectivity to submarine cable infrastructure landings in Kenya and Tanzania. The first sections of this network were commissioned in early 2014, and other provinces have since been connected. In addition, the government launched the Burundi Broadband project in early 2018, which aims to provide national connectivity by 2025. Based on this improved infrastructure, the government and ITU have developed an ICT strategy to use telecommunications to to promote the socio-economic development of the country. economic development until 2028. In addition, progress made by Tanzania with its own national backbone network has benefited Burundi, which has been provided with connectivity to most countries in the region.
International bandwidth capacity has continued to increase in recent years, including a 38% increase in the nine months to September 2021, resulting in lower retail prices for consumers.
Two of the mobile operators have launched 3G and LTE services to capitalize on the growing demand for internet access. The number of mobile subscribers increased by 7% in the third quarter of 2021, quarter-on-quarter. Similar growth is expected for at least the next two years, which will help bring mobile penetration closer to the region’s average.
Key developments:
- The government is launching an e-health project, progressing with its Broadband Burundi 2025 project;
- Lumitel providing nationwide LTE coverage;
- Launch of an ICT program to promote socio-economic development;
- Mobile subscriber penetration is approaching 70%;
- Report update includes regulator’s market data through Q3 2021, updated Telecom Maturity Index charts and analysis, assessment of the global impact of the pandemic on the sector telecommunications, recent market developments.
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The developing telecommunications market report summaries are produced in partnership with BuddeCom, the world’s largest continuously updated online telecommunications research service.
The above article is a summary of the following BuddeCom report:
Report title: Burundi – Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband – Statistics and Analysis
Editing: March 2022
Analyst: Henry Lancaster
Number of pages: 96
Companies named in the report: National Office of Telecommunications (Onatel, Onamob); U-Com (Orascom, Telecel Globe, Leo), VTEL Holdings (Tempo, Africell Safaris), Econet Wireless Burundi (Spacetel), LaCell SU (Smart Burundi), Renaissance Capital, BNP Paribas, Millenium Finance, Linkstone Capital
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For more information or to purchase a copy of the full report, please use the following link: https://www.budde.com.au/Research/Burundi-Telecoms-Mobile-and-Broadband-Statistics-and-Analyses/ ?r=83
