MainOne partners Government and the World Bank to Deliver Connectivity Services into Burkina Faso
As a landlocked country, Burkina Faso has faced difficulties in accessing
world-class connectivity and maintaining ubiquitous broadband internet
access due to the lack of infrastructure
OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso, May 28, 2020/ -- MainOne (www.MainOne.net), West Africa’s premier connectivity and data center solution provider,
has been entrusted by the State of Burkina Faso, backed by the World
Bank, to provide bulk connectivity services to a consortium of operators through the PAV-Burkina Cooperative, for the next three (3) years.
Following an international bid to select a preferred operator, MainOne
was chosen by the Burkinabe Government (with financial backing from the
World Bank) to provide PAV-Burkina with bulk capacity to nodes in
Ouagadougou and Bobo Dioulasso.
As a landlocked country, Burkina Faso has faced difficulties in
accessing world-class connectivity and maintaining ubiquitous broadband
internet access due to the lack of infrastructure and the reluctance of
major operators to explore operational broadband service delivery models favorable for socio-economic development of the country. To address
this challenge, the PRICAO Initiative was created by the Burkina Faso
Government, in collaboration with a consortium of Internet Service
Providers and Mobile Operators. The purpose of the initiative is to
facilitate the creation of virtual landing points as a platform for the
extension of broadband network coverage in the country, with a view to
improving the quality of connectivity in the region; increase Internet
penetration and improve the performance of ICT services.
In order to set up an independent and competitive framework for
connectivity services, the Ministry of Digital Economy and Postal
Services (MDENP) with the support of the World Bank, created a
Cooperative Consortium (SCOOP PAV-BURKINA). The consortium brings
together key electronic service stakeholders to deliver a turnkey
project that will provide fiber optic transmission infrastructure
between Ouagadougou and Dakola, to be delivered in two (2) phases within a 3-year period. This Cooperative has the heavy task of managing and
administering the infrastructure judiciously in order to ensure a fair
distribution for the various marker players.
The World Bank’s 20 million dollars plus support of the PRICAO
initiative, has enabled the Burkinabe State to set up a 200km fiber
optic transmission link from Ouagadougou to Dakola. The first phase of
the project commenced in 2018, with the initial stage providing capacity in Ouagadougou over 3 years. Phase 2 of the project will commence in
quarter two of year 2020 and will lead to the provision of additional
internet capacity in Ouagadougou and Bobo Dioulasso within another
3-year period. MainOne, has been selected to deliver Phase 2 and will
provide 10 Gbps broadband capacity in Ouagadougou, together with 5Gbps
in Bobo Dioulasso. Prior to this, MainOne had been selected in 2019
through a restricted bids process and currently deliver an additional
capacity of 2.5Gbps to Ouagadougou to strengthen and secure the capacity initially delivered in Phase I of the project.
Leveraging their extensive partnership with key stakeholders in the
region, MainOne has been able to provide its services in Burkina through a diverse terrestrial optical fibers connecting its landing point in
Accra to the Burkinabe border town of Paga, where the organization has
made significant investments by establishing a physical point of
presence specifically to address the need of the Burkina market. Today,
the company offers world-class quality service with 99.95% service
availability and has helped BURKINA PAV members achieve up to 50%
reduction in the cost per megabit through the bulk broadband
connectivity purchase model.
These projects and their success highlight the progress made by the
Government of Burkina Faso and the initiatives of PAV-BURKNA with
regards to critical broadband infrastructures and services in their
quest to develop the digital economy. This is in accordance with the
Government initiative to strengthen infrastructure and improve
connectivity in the country. The collaboration with MainOne has shown
that significant progress can be achieved through bulk capacity
purchasing, effectively maximizing the values of existing fiber assets in the region, complemented by new investments supported by
International Development Agencies (IDA). This is improving service
reach and reducing prices for consumers by removing cost duplication.
Through the Government’s action, financially supported by the World Bank and technically by the PAV BF cooperative, an increment in broadband
internet penetration was recorded from 10% to 19% in 2019. With
MainOne’s track record in the region, choosing them for Phase 2 of the
project will guarantee a considerable increase in broadband penetration
in Burkina Faso and attainment of Government’s digital objectives.
In a related development, MainOne has reiterated its commitment to
explore similar models with other ISPs, Mobile Operators and Governments in other countries across the West Africa region. The company remain
committed to supporting the development of the digital ecosystem in West Africa, enabling network operators and the government to access
world-class infrastructure and services at competitive prices and
delivering bulk capacity that helps to reduce cost per Mbps and ensure
an improved connectivity experience.
About MainOne:
MainOne (www.MainOne.net) is a broadband services and infrastructure company providing innovative connectivity and network solutions across West Africa. Its submarine
cable is the first private subsea cable to deliver open-access,
broadband capacity to West Africa in 2010, heralding the explosion in
internet access across the region. The company has earned a reputation
as the preferred provider of connectivity services to major telecom
operators, ISPs, government agencies, large enterprise, and educational
institutions in the region. MainOne also owns and operate a data center
subsidiary, MDXi which has built and operates Tier III data centers
across West Africa. MainOne’s submarine cable system traverses the coast of West Africa with interconnection to leading regional operators and
internet exchanges worldwide to provide global reach to its customers.
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