Increasing Broadband Internet Penetration
In the OIC Member Countries
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Orange, the French-based telecommunications multinational, is present in 9 OIC Member
Countries. With revenues of US$ 6.35 billion across Africa and the Middle East (growing at 7%
year-on-year), Orange employs 22,000 professionals to serve 110 million customers. In the
past three years, the operator has been consolidating its presence in Africa and the Middle
East by strengthening its distribution network, developing its infrastructure and innovating to
introduce new services. For example, Orange Money, the payment service is available in 13
countries: Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal, Mali, Niger, Madagascar, Kenya, Botswana, Cameroon, Jordan,
Mauritius, Guinea, Egypt (under the name Mobicash), and Tunisia (under the name
Mobimoney). By the end of 2014, Orange Money had over 13 million customers, and handled
the equivalent of 4.5 billion euros in 2014. In order to promote the service, Orange has signed
partnerships to enable payment of water and electricity bills in several countries, andelds such as a savings and insurance offer in Mali in partnership with insurance
uvelle Société Interafricaine d’Assurance), e-commerce (payments on
in Côte d’Ivoire and Senegal), mobile access to Orange Money via an Android, Mali and Madagascar, and online from a bank account, through partnerships
ks BNPP and BOA. Similarly, Orange has launched Orange Healthcare, which
provides modern communication services in support of health professionals and patients in
Africa. The service includes a medical advice hotline in Cameroon and is now opening out-of-
hours pharmacies in Senegal and Côte d’Ivoire.
The MTN Group, headquartered in South Africa, is present in 11 OIC Member Countries. The
carrier has total customers of 232.5 million and generates revenues of US$ 10.7 billion (2015)
with an EBITDA margin of 40.9%. The carrier is in the midst of a transformation of internal
structures aimed at becoming a data and digital organization. This includes enabling sales
channels to provide digital services, and improve network service quality and customer
service at all touch points. The carrier is the largest distributor of digital music in Africa
supported by ‘caller ring back tones’. It has also made progress in e-commerce by signing joint
ventures with AIH and MEIH. For example, AIH recorded 2.3 million customers and 4.4 million
transactions in 2015. Additionally, the carrier is focused on developing the enterprise and
public sector markets. In 2015, the operator launched MTN Cloud business and a Pan African
‘Internet of Things’ platform. It has also expanded the MTN Global, multi protocol label
switching (MPLS) bringing the footprint to 25 points of presence in Africa. MTN is preparing
for broadband services in several OIC Member Countries by rolling out LTE and advanced LTE
in Nigeria, and Cameroon, and FTTH in Nigeria, Cote d’Ivoire and Iran.
The Etisalat Group is the leading telecommunications operator in the Middle East and Africa.
Headquartered in Abu Dhabi, the carrier had revenues of US$ 42.9 billion and EBITDA margin
of 51% (2015). Fifty-six percent of its revenues were generated in the United Arab Emirates,
15.2% and 8.6% were generated in Morocco and Egypt respectively. The operator is present in
15 OIC Member Countries through partial capital ownership that provides operating control
(for example, 53% in Maroc Telecom, 66% in Etisalat Egypt, 51% in Gabon Telecom), although
some operations are fully owned (such as the Moov wireless carrier in West Africa, Etisalat
Afghanistan, and obviously, Etisalat in the UAE). This presence is the result of an aggressive