Last November, a GLOBAL Technologies Group delegation went to the Central African Republic to sign a telecom network renovation agreement. This project, which aims to restore quality telecom service in the southwest of the country, will provide Internet access to 40% of the Central African population and create an interconnection with neighboring Congo and Cameroon to access the global Internet.
Like most sub-Saharan countries, the telecommunications sector is booming in the Central African Republic.
No less than four operators share the cell phone market, which has about 1.5 million active subscribers for 5 million inhabitants (March 2020): Telecel (Telecel Group) and Orange Centrafrique (Orange SA) account for 80% of the market, then Moov Centrafrique (Maroc Telecom) and Azur RCA (Azur Telecom) share the remaining part.
Socatel is the national telecom operator and has a monopoly on fixed-line telephony activities in the country. It has a microwave transmission network connecting the country’s main cities and can also connect the Central African Republic to neighboring countries: Cameroon and the Republic of Congo.
However, this FH network, which is about 40 years old and composed of about 20 sites, has become obsolete.
Socatel has entrusted GLOBAL Technologies Group with the task of modernizing this network, including towers, FH and internet equipment, energy sources… With this project, Socatel is consolidating its place in the African telecoms landscape, securing the fiber network that will be set up at the end of 2021 and contributing to opening up digital access to as many people as possible.
The project is based on the remains of a hertzian network built in the 70’s which has not been working for many years. The hertzian network will form a loop Bangui – Bossembélé – Bouar – Carnot – Berberati – Boda – M’Baiki – Bangui with a link from Berberati to Gamboula and from Bouar to Garoua to reach Cameroon and another from M’Baiki to reach Congo
In addition, by installing 4G stations on the pylons hertzians, the project will offer a connection to the Internet very high speed.. This equipment, coupled with a fixed terminal, will offer Internet access to businesses and local authorities, which will be able to develop community access centers for their population.
