Gabon - Telecoms, Mobile, Broadband & Forecasts

Executive summary

Gabon’s oil revenues make it one of the wealthiest nations in Africa. GDP per capita is well above the African average, although a distorted income distribution and poor social indicators are evident. The telecom market was liberalised in 1999 when the government awarded three mobile telephony licences and two Internet Service Provider licences and established an independent regulatory authority. Following two unsuccessful attempts, the privatisation of Gabon Telecom (GT) finally succeeded in 2007.

With competition between three service providers – Zain, GT’s Libertis, and Etisalat’s Moov – Gabon became one of the first countries in Africa to exceed 100% mobile market penetration in 2008. A fourth operator, Bintel, is set to enter this virtually saturated market in 2009. This is expected to accelerate the downward trend in average revenue per user which until recently has remained at remarkably high levels.

In contrast with the mobile market, Gabon’s fixed-line and Internet/broadband sectors have remained underdeveloped due to a lack of competition and the resulting high prices. The country has sufficient international bandwidth on the SAT-3/WASC/SAFE fibre optic submarine cable which runs from Portugal via South Africa to the Far East, but this facility has been monopolised by GT. With its new owner, Vivendi-controlled Maroc Telecom, the fixed-line incumbent is now becoming more efficient and innovative in developing its services. It is facing competition from ISPs rolling out WiMAX wireless broadband networks and offering VoIP Internet telephony.

This report contains an overview and analysis of Gabon’s telecommunications market, profiles of the major players in all market sectors, relevant statistics, and scenario forecasts for 2010 and 2015 for the country’s fixed-line, mobile and Internet markets.

Key highlights:

• Forecasts for fixed-line, mobile and Internet markets for 2010 and 2015;
  
• One of the highest levels of mobile penetration and ARPU in Africa;
  
• GDP per capita to fall by 30% as a result of the global economic crisis;
  
• Profiles of major players in all market sectors;
  
• Fourth mobile network set to enter the market;
  
• Comparison with other countries in the region in terms of GDP, mobile, fixed and Internet market penetration.
  

GDP per capita in Gabon and other countries in the region - 2009

(Source: BuddeComm based on IMF data)

Table of Contents

• 1. Executive summary
  
• 2. Key statistics
  
• 3. Market analysis – 2009
  
  • 3.1 Regional benchmarking
    
• 4. Regulatory environment
  
  • 4.1 Historical background
    
  • 4.2 Regulatory authority
    
    • 4.2.1 Agence de Regulation des Telecommunications (ARTEL)
      
  • 4.3 Market liberalisation
    
  • 4.4 Interconnection
    
• 5. Fixed network operator
  
  • 5.1 Gabon Télécom
    
    • 5.1.1 Privatisation
      
    • 5.1.2 Financial results
      
    • 5.1.3 National telecom network
      
    • 5.1.4 Fixed-line statistics
      
    • 5.1.5 International infrastructure
      
• 6. Broadband and Internet market
  
  • 6.1 Overview
    
    • 6.1.1 Internet statistics
      
  • 6.2 ISP market
    
    • 6.2.1 Gabon Télécom
      
    • 6.2.2 Internet Gabon
      
    • 6.2.3 Solsi
      
  • 6.3 Broadband market
    
    • 6.3.1 ADSL
      
    • 6.3.2 WiMAX
      
  • 6.4 Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP)
    
• 7. Mobile communications
  
  • 7.1 Overview of Gabon’s mobile market
    
    • 7.1.1 Mobile statistics
      
  • 7.2 Major mobile operators
    
    • 7.2.1 Zain Gabon (formerly Celtel)
      
    • 7.2.2 Libertis (Gabon Telecom)
      
    • 7.2.3 Moov (Telecel Gabon)
      
  • 7.3 Fourth mobile licence
    
• 8. Forecasts
  
  • 8.1 Forecast – fixed-line market – 2012; 2015
    
  • 8.2 Forecast – Internet market – 2012; 2015
    
  • 8.3 Forecast – mobile market – 2012; 2015
    
  • 8.4 Notes on scenario forecasts
    
• 9. Related reports
  

• Table 1 – Country statistics Gabon – 2010
• Table 2 – Fixed-line network statistics – 2010
• Table 3 – Internet provider statistics – 2010
• Table 4 – Internet user statistics – 2010
• Table 5 – Mobile statistics – 2010
• Table 6 – National telecommunications authority
• Table 7 – GDP per capita in Gabon and other countries in the region – 2009
• Table 8 – Mobile penetration in Gabon and other countries in the region – 2008
• Table 9 – Internet user penetration in Gabon and other countries in the region – 2008
• Table 10 – Fixed-line penetration in Gabon and other countries in the region – 2008
• Table 11 – Gabon Télécom fixed-line versus mobile revenue – 2006 - 2008
• Table 12 – Fixed lines in service and teledensity – 1997 - 2010
• Table 13 – Internet users and penetration rate – 2002 - 2010
• Table 14 – Gabon Telecom Internet subscribers – 2007 - 2009
• Table 15 – Mobile subscribers and penetration rate – 1999 - 2010
• Table 16 – Mobile operators, subscribers and annual change – June 2009
• Table 17 – Zain Gabon ARPU – 2002 - 2009
• Table 18 – Libertis ARPU – 2007 - 2009
• Table 19 – Forecast fixed-line and fixed-wireless subscribers – 2012; 2015
• Table 20 – Forecast Internet users – 2012; 2015
• Table 21 – Forecast mobile subscribers – 2012; 2015