The backbone, launched in 2019, is financed by the African Development Bank and the European Union to the tune of XAF22 billion.

 Last Monday, the Central African Republic welcomed the CAR component of the Central Africa Fibre-Optic Backbone Project, which aims to provide broadband internet in the whole country.

According to President Faustin Touadera (photo, left), the efforts made by the government and its partners are aimed at creating an enabling environment in the field of telecommunications in the Central African Republic. "This new project, which is already operational, will first reduce internet costs and then create new jobs," he said.

The CAR component of the Central Africa Fibre-Optic Backbone Project, launched in 2019, is co-financed by the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the European Union to the tune of XAF22 billion (US$36 million). It interconnects the Central African Republic, Congo Brazzaville, and Cameroon. The project includes 935 kilometers of optic fiber network and 11 relay stations that are being built in Bangui and some strategic towns in the North-West.

According to the Central African government's web portal, the newly deployed backbone will increase tax revenues, reduce the cost of economic and social transactions, reduce the digital isolation of rural areas, promote regional integration, and revitalize the social pact with new employment opportunities for the youth.

For François-Xavier Decopo, coordinator of the CAR component, the next stage is the sales of fiber optic capacity to operators. "In September, an operator will come... The government will sign a public-private partnership agreement with another operator who will manage the infrastructure and sell fiber optic capacities to mobile operators like Orange, Telecel, and Socatel," he said. 

Samira Njoya