Haiti - Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband

Executive summary

A sector and country in reconstruction

BuddeComm’s Haiti - Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband profiles the fixed-line, mobile and broadband markets in Haiti.

Haiti’s economic and social indicators remain far lower than the average for Latin America and the Caribbean. The recent years of political and economic turmoil and natural disasters have stifled most sectors of the economy, including Haiti’s telecommunications sector which remains one of the least developed in the world. During 2010 the country was focused on reconstruction efforts following the devastating earthquake in January of that year.

The privatisation of Teleco, which was due to be finalised on the eve that the earthquake struck, went ahead in 2010, with Viettel acquiring 60% of the company for approximately $60 million.

This report contains overviews, analyses and statistics of the Haitian fixed-line, mobile and internet markets.

Market highlights:

• In 2011 Haiti’s fixed line teledensity remained amongst the lowest in the world, at around an estimated 1%.
• In May 2010 the Vietnamese military-owned telecommunications company Viettel was selected as the successful bidder to acquire a 60% share in Teleco, which was effectively transformed into a new entity, Natcom. Completion took place in April 2011.
• Viettel’s bid included a commitment to build a 2,000km fibre optic cable to provide internet access in particular to remote areas. Thus, by early 2011 Natcom had begun the promised job of replacing and expanding the ruined fixed line network with the aim of providing national services including DSL broadband access.
• During 2011 the mobile market is expected to enter a phase of renewed competition given the entry of Natcom. In late 2010 Natcom had begun to rollout its GSM/3G mobile network and by January 2011 was announcing the first international calls over its mobile network. The operator is expected to launch commercial mobile services over its network by end-2011.
• In February 2011 Digicel Jamaica was granted a licence allowing it to connect undersea fibre cable from Jamaica to Haiti and the Bahamas.

Lawrence Baker

April 2011

Table of Contents

• 1. Executive summary
• 2. Key statistics
• 3. Country overview
• 4. Telecommunications market
  • 4.1 Overview of Haiti’s telecom market
• 5. Regulatory environment
  • 5.1 Regulatory authority
    • 5.1.1 Conseil National des Telecommunications (Conatel)
  • 5.2 Telecom sector liberalisation
  • 5.3 Privatisation
• 6. Telecommunications infrastructure
  • 6.1 National telecom network
    • 6.1.1 Natcom
  • 6.2 International infrastructure
• 7. Broadband market
  • 7.1 Overview
  • 7.2 Internet statistics
• 8. Digital media
  • 8.1 Overview
  • 8.2 Cable TV (CATV)
  • 8.3 Satellite TV
• 9. Mobile communications
  • 9.1 Overview of Haiti’s mobile market
  • 9.2 Mobile statistics
  • 9.3 Major mobile operators
    • 9.3.1 Digicel
    • 9.3.2 Comcel (Voilá)
    • 9.3.3 Haiti Telecommunications International (HaiTel)
    • 9.3.4 Natcom
    • 9.3.5 Rectel (Teleco)
• 10. Related reports

• Table 1 – Country statistics Haiti – 2011
• Table 2 – Telephone network statistics – 2011
• Table 3 – Internet provider statistics – 2011
• Table 4 – Internet user statistics – 2011
• Table 5 – Mobile statistics – 2011
• Table 6 – National telecommunications authority

• Chart 1 – Fixed lines in service and teledensity – 2000 - 2011
• Chart 2 – Internet users and user penetration rate – 2000 - 2011
• Chart 3 – Internet subscribers and penetration – 2000 - 2011
• Chart 4 – Mobile subscribers and penetration rate – 2000 - 2011

• Exhibit 1 – Mobile banking