• The government will invest $45 million to connect 750 underserved areas in 2025.

• Only 46% of the country has 4G access, while 5G is not yet available.

• The program is part of the “zero white zones” initiative, targeting full coverage by 2027.

The Burkina Faso government announced on Sept. 30 a $45 million project to expand telecom coverage to 750 underserved areas in 2025. Authorities said the initiative will connect communities lacking access to mobile and internet services.

The Ministry of Digital Transition, Posts and Electronic Communications said in a Sept. 27 statement that the project “aims to reduce the digital divide, ensure that no citizen is excluded from digital access, facilitate the roll-out of e-government services and strengthen the digital economy nationwide.”

According to government data from August 2024, mobile network coverage reaches 85% in Burkina Faso. However, only 64% of the population has access to 3G and 46% to 4G. Commercial 5G services have yet to be launched.

The International Telecommunication Union reported that internet penetration stood at 17% in 2023, compared with 55.9% for mobile telephony. The World Bank estimated the country’s population at 23.03 million in the same year.

The project is financed by the Universal Access and Service Fund (FASU) and the Digital Transformation Acceleration Project (PACTDIGITAL). It is part of the “zero white zones” program, which aims to provide universal connectivity by 2027.

Digital Transition Minister Aminata Zerbo/Sabane said in August 2024 that authorities had identified 1,700 areas without telecom coverage.

The government must connect 750 areas by year-end, with only three months remaining. By comparison, authorities connected 138 new localities in 2024 and 183 in 2022.

This article was initially published in French by Isaac K. Kassouwi

Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum