Increasing Broadband Internet Penetration

In the OIC Member Countries

109

Figure 32: Monthly subscription of 1 GB cap USB (in US$)

Source: International Telecommunications Union; Telecom Advisory Services analysis

As depicted in figure 32, Cote d’Ivoire pricing only started to decline in 2015, but still remains

above the average of all OECD countries, all OIC Member Countries, and the African OIC

Member Countries. In a similar finding, the prepaid price for 500 MB cap mobile broadband

subscription in the Cote d’Ivoire was US$ 9.98 in 2015, compared to US$ 4.55 for all the OIC

African countries, and US$ 4.66 for all OIC Member Countries. The price of the most

economical fixed broadband subscription in Cote d’Ivoire is US$ 34.83, compared to US$ 29.87

average pricing for all OIC Member Countries.

On the other hand, Cote d’Ivoire operators have introduced less expensive fixed broadband

subscriptions when compared to the average price of other OIC African countries of US$ 75.18.

For example, Orange offers a prepaid plan based on ADSL at 1Mbps download speed with a cap

of 250 MB for CFA 19,000 (US$ 31.50).

Investments in fixed and mobile broadband infrastructure

The investment of the private sector operators in fixed broadband services is highly variable,

reflecting the sector’s volatility (see table 52).

Table 52: Cote d’Ivoire: Private sector fixed broadband investment (US$)

2013

2014

2015

1H2016

Fixed broadband

2,903,002

7,041,809

1,579,421

503,758

Source: Autorité de régulation des télécommunications/TIC de Cote d’Ivoire; Telecom Advisory Services analysis

Until 2014, operators were dedicating a relatively high volume of investment to fixed

broadband reflecting the embryonic status of mobile adoption. However, in 2015 investment

in fixed broadband declined significantly. By annualizing statistics for the first half of 2016,

total investment for 2016 in fixed broadband would only be US$ 1,004,000. The decline in

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