Airtel Gabon follows up 3G/4G pledge with launch of pilot phase

Bharti Airtel, a leading telecommunications service provider with operations in 20 countries across South Asia and Africa has followed up its  pledge to launch a 3G/4G mobile network with the initial roll out of the pilot phase in Gabon.

The launch is set to profoundly transform the telecoms sector in Gabon, enhancing the Digital Gabon Plan which aims at achieving a countrywide digital infrastructure by 2016. The plan will also support the development of a wide range of data enabled services.

The launch function was held during a ceremony chaired by Mr. Lin Mombo, the President of the Regulatory Authority for Electronic Communications and Posts (ARCEP), to officially hand over the 3G/4G licence to Airtel.

The presentation of this licence follows its adoption at a Cabinet meeting held on March 16^th 2014, awarding 3^rd and 4th generation mobile phone networks (3G/4G) to Airtel.

Mr. Antoine Pamboro, MD of Airtel Gabon said: “The 3G/4G licence that was issued to us is a major development, not only for our organization but for the entire telecommunications sector in Gabon. The roll out of 3G and 4G networks will enable the Gabonese community enjoy high-speed browsing, video streaming, video calls, and also live TV on their handsets. These applications are a small part of the potential these technologies are capable of, both on the Internet and mobile phone devices.”

The 3G pilot phase, which begun on the 20^th of March 2014, is intended to optimize the Airtel Gabon network so that it can provide the best possible service by the commercial launch. The mobile phone leader is already set for the formal 3G launch.

Mr. Antoine Pamboro, who welcomed the acquisition of the license stated “the ambition of our organization as a leader in this sector, is to effectively promote the implementation of these technologies so that our customers can fully access the benefits and world class quality they provide. This is a new technological era that is open for our customers and for Gabon.”

Africa is a key market for Bharti Airtel and the company is investing heavily, especially in enabling a fast-growing population with rising incomes to connect socially and do business. It is estimated that more than 40 per cent of Africa’s billion-strong population live in cities, a figure roughly comparable to China and more than India.

Commenting on the development, Airtel’s Africa’s Chief Marketing Officer, Andre Beyers said “According to the GSMA, Sub Sharan Africa is on the cusp of an explosion in the uptake of mobile broadband and mobile data growth. Increasingly affordable, internet enabled mobile devices are enabling people to access the internet for the first time. Mobile devices, using either 3G or even 2.5G EDGE networks, are already the main platform for internet access in Sub Saharan Africa, allowing people to bypass the limited reach of the fixed broadband network.”

He added: “As Africa’s largest Internet provider, we want to be a part of this evolution, hence our increased investments as committed during last year’s New York Forum in Libreville Gabon. Africa at large, remains extremely vital for us and we are especially committed to being part of Gabon’s economic development.”

The issuance of this licence by the Gabonese regulator is fully in line with the Government’s desire to usher in a new digital era in the country.