Chad Telecoms Market Report

Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband - Statistics and Analyses

Publication Date: February 2025

Report Pages: 126

Lead Analyst: Henry Lancaster

Contributing Analyst: Peter Lange

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Summary
Table Of Contents

Chad continues to improve international internet connectivity

During the last decade Chad’s economy has been dominated by oil exports, and as a result economic growth has been affected by the changing prices for the commodity on international markets. Recent economic difficulties have been exacerbated by civil unrest, an influx of refugees from neighbouring countries, and the economic downsides resulting from the pandemic.

The country remains one of the least developed on the continent, while telecom infrastructure is particularly poor, with penetration rates in all sectors – fixed, mobile and internet – well below African averages. Nevertheless, despite difficult operating conditions, large scale poverty and low spending power, Chad’s telecom market offers some potential for investors to develop services given the low starting base.

The two main operators Moov Africa Chad and Airtel Chad have invested in infrastructure and have become the main providers of voice and data services. However, the difficult economic conditions of the country, compounded by taxes on telecom services which have adversely affected customer spend and operator revenue, encouraged these players to consider exiting the market.

The mobile sector has developed steadily under the auspices of these two operators. The national telco and fixed-line operator Sotel Tchad operates the country’s third mobile network, as Salam Mobile, though it is mainly focussed on voice services since it depends on GPRS and EDGE technologies (which can provide only basic mobile data services). The country’s first 3G/LTE mobile licence was awarded in April 2014.

Chad finally gained access to international fibre bandwidth in 2012. Its national backbone infrastructure remains underdeveloped. The World Bank-funded Central African Backbone (CAB) project takes in Chad, while the country is also party to a Trans-Saharan Backbone project which will link a fibre cable to Nigeria and Algeria.

Key developments:

International mobile roaming charges eliminated among Central African Economic and Monetary Community countries;
Camtel, SudaChad Telecom, and Sudatel announce plans to build a terrestrial fibre cable connecting through Cameroon, Chad, and Sudan;
Government removes duty on imported telecom devices to boost adoption of digital services;
Airtel Chad drops plan to sell passive infrastructure in Chad to Helios;
Moov Chad increases the number of mobile base stations, preps for FttP rollout;
Government approves three-part telecom infrastructure upgrade project as part of the Strategic Plan for Digital Development and Posts 2020-2030;
2021 Finance Law reduces spectrum fees;
N'Djamena - Adré axis fibre link is opened;
Report update includes the regulator’s market updates to 2020, operator data to Q1 2022, updated Telecom Maturity Index charts and analyses, recent market developments.

Companies mentioned in this report:

Sotel Tchad, TchadNet, Airtel Chad, Tigo Chad, Tchad Mobile (Orascom), Maroc Telecom, Sitcom, Salam Mobile

Key statistics
Regional Africa Market Comparison

Market characteristics
Market Leaders
Market Challengers
Market Emergents
TMI vs GDP
Mobile and mobile broadband penetration
Fixed versus mobile broadband penetration

Country overview
Telecommunications market

Market analysis

Regulatory environment

Regulatory authority
Fixed-line developments

Telecommunications Act 1998
Quality of service (QoS)
Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP)

Mobile network developments

Licences
Roaming
Mobile Termination Rate (MTR)

Mobile market

Market analysis

Mobile statistics
Mobile data
Mobile broadband

Mobile infrastructure
Other infrastructure developments

Satellite mobile

Major mobile operators

Airtel Chad
Moov Africa Chad
Salam Mobile
Tchad Mobile (defunct)

Mobile content and applications

Money transfer, m-banking

Fixed-line broadband market

Introduction and statistical overview

Market analysis
Broadband statistics
Fixed wireless (WiMAX, WiBro, Wi-Fi)
Satellite broadband

Fixed network operator

Sotel Tchad

Privatisation
CDMA2000 WLL
National backbone network

Telecommunications infrastructure

Data centres
International infrastructure
Submarine cables
The Central African Backbone (CAB)
Other projects

Appendix – Historic data
Glossary of abbreviations
Related reports

List of Tables

Table 1 – Top Level Country Statistics and Telco Authorities - Chad – 2022 (e)
Table 2 – Telecom market revenue by sector (XAF billion) – 2012 – 2020
Table 3 – Change in telecom market investment by main operator (XAF billion) – 2015 – 2020
Table 4 – Average annual telecom ARPU – 2012 – 2020
Table 5 – Development of mobile revenue by operator (XAF billion) – 2012 – 2020
Table 6 – Development of total mobile sector revenue – 2012 – 2020
Table 7 – Change in the market share telecom revenue by service – 2013 – 2020
Table 8 – Annual change in mobile revenue by service – 2014 – 2020
Table 9 – Growth in the number of mobile base stations in service – 2012 – 2020
Table 10 – Decline in average annual mobile voice ARPU – 2012 – 2020
Table 11 – Growth in the number of mobile subscribers and penetration – 2012 – 2027
Table 12 – Change in the market share of mobile subscribers by operator – 2012 – 2020
Table 13 – Growth in mobile voice traffic by operator (million minutes) – 2012 – 2020
Table 14 – Development of SMS revenue – 2012 – 2020
Table 15 – Increase in SMS traffic – 2013 – 2020
Table 16 – Growth in the number of active mobile broadband subscribers and penetration – 2014 – 2027
Table 17 – Growth in mobile broadband revenue – 2013 – 2020
Table 18 – Increase in the number of Airtel Chad’s subscribers – 2012 – 2020
Table 19 – Increase in the number of Moov Africa Chad’s subscribers – 2012 – 2022
Table 20 – Change in the number of Salam Mobile subscribers – 2012 – 2020
Table 21 – Change in the number of m-money subscribers – 2015 – 2020
Table 22 – Change in the market share of m-money revenue by operator – 2014 – 2020
Table 23 – Increase in m-money revenue by operator (XAF million) – 2014 – 2020
Table 24 – Growth in the number of fixed-line internet subscribers – 2012 – 2027
Table 25 – Change in average annual internet ARPU – 2012 – 2020
Table 26 – Growth in the number of total internet subscribers – 2012 – 2020
Table 27 – Growth in total internet sector revenue – 2012 – 2020
Table 28 – Change in the number of fixed lines in service and teledensity – 2012 – 2027
Table 29 – Change in average annual fixed-line ARPU – 2012 – 2020
Table 30 – Increase in international internet bandwidth – 2012 – 2020
Table 31 – Historic - Fixed lines in service and teledensity in Chad – 1999 – 2011
Table 32 – Historic - Mobile subscribers and penetration rate in Chad – 2000 – 2011
Table 33 – Historic - Internet users and penetration rate in Chad – 1998 – 2011
Table 34 – Historic - Airtel Chad mobile subscribers – 2005 – 2011
Table 35 – Historic - Average annual telecom ARPU – 2008 – 2011
Table 36 – Historic - Increase in the number of Tigo Chad’s subscribers – 2008 – 2011
Table 37 – Historic - Change in the number of Salam Mobile subscribers – 2008 – 2011
Table 38 – Historic - Telecom market revenue by sector (XAF billion) – 2009 – 2011
Table 39 – Historic - Growth in the number of mobile base stations in service – 2009 – 2011
Table 40 – Historic - Growth in the number of total internet subscribers – 2009 – 2011

List of Charts

Chart 1 – Africa Telecoms Maturity Index – Market Leaders
Chart 2 – Africa – Market Leaders global ranking
Chart 3 – Africa Telecoms Maturity Index – Market Challengers
Chart 4 – Africa – Market Challengers global ranking
Chart 5 – Africa Telecoms Maturity Index – Market Emergents
Chart 6 – Africa – Market Emergents global ranking
Chart 7 – Africa – Telecoms Maturity Index vs GDP per capita
Chart 8 – Africa – Mobile subscriber penetration vs mobile broadband penetration
Chart 9 – Africa – Fixed and mobile broadband penetration
Chart 10 – Telecom market revenue by sector – 2012 – 2020
Chart 11 – Change in telecom market investment by main operator – 2015 – 2020
Chart 12 – Average annual telecom ARPU – 2012 – 2020
Chart 13 – Development of mobile revenue by operator – 2012 – 2020
Chart 14 – Development of total mobile sector revenue – 2012 – 2020
Chart 15 – Change in the market share telecom revenue by service – 2013 – 2020
Chart 16 – Growth in the number of mobile base stations in service – 2012 – 2020
Chart 17 – Decline in average annual mobile voice ARPU – 2012 – 2020
Chart 18 – Growth in the number of mobile subscribers and penetration – 2012 – 2027
Chart 19 – Change in the market share of mobile subscribers by operator – 2012 – 2020
Chart 20 – Growth in mobile voice traffic by operator – 2012 – 2020
Chart 21 – Development of SMS revenue – 2012 – 2020
Chart 22 – Increase in SMS traffic – 2013 – 2020
Chart 23 – Growth in the number of active mobile subscribers and penetration – 2014 – 2027
Chart 24 – Growth in mobile broadband revenue – 2013 – 2020
Chart 25 – Increase in the number of Airtel Chad’s subscribers – 2012 – 2020
Chart 26 – Increase in the number of Moov Africa Chad’s subscribers – 2012 – 2022
Chart 27 – Change in the number of Salam Mobile subscribers – 2012 – 2020
Chart 28 – Change in the number of m-money subscribers – 2015 – 2020
Chart 29 – Change in the market share of m-money revenue by operator – 2014 – 2020
Chart 30 – Increase in m-money revenue by operator – 2014 – 2020
Chart 31 – Growth in the number of fixed-line internet subscribers – 2012 – 2027
Chart 32 – Change in average annual internet ARPU – 2012 – 2020
Chart 33 – Total internet subscribers – 2012 – 2020
Chart 34 – Growth in total internet sector revenue – 2012 – 2020
Chart 35 – Change in the number of fixed lines in service and teledensity – 2012 – 2027
Chart 36 – Change in average annual fixed-line ARPU (XAF) – 2012 – 2020
Chart 37 – Increase in international internet bandwidth (Mb/s) – 2012 – 2020

List of Exhibits

Exhibit 1 – Map of Telecom Maturity Index global ranking among countries in Africa
Exhibit 2 – Generalised Market Characteristics by Market Segment
Exhibit 3 – Africa – Market Leaders and market developments
Exhibit 4 – Africa – Market Challengers and market developments
Exhibit 5 – Africa – Market Emergents and market developments
Exhibit 6 – Map of Chad
Exhibit 7 – National fibre backbone – section routes to be deployed

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Chad Telecoms Market Report

Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband - Statistics and Analyses

Purchase this Report

Chad continues to improve international internet connectivity

Key developments:

Companies mentioned in this report:

Key statistics

Regional Africa Market Comparison

Country overview

Telecommunications market

Regulatory environment

Mobile market

Fixed-line broadband market

Fixed network operator

Telecommunications infrastructure

Appendix – Historic data

Glossary of abbreviations

Related reports

Purchase this Report

Share this Report

TMT Intelligence

A platform to scale your intelligence tasks

Research Methodology

Hot Topics

News & Views