• GVA plans fiber internet launch in Ghana under CanalBox brand

• Minister backs proposal for affordable, high-speed internet rollout

• Expansion taps rising fiber demand amid Africa’s broadband boom

Group Vivendi Africa (GVA), the fiber internet subsidiary of French media conglomerate Vivendi, plans to launch operations in Ghana. If confirmed, Ghana would become the company’s tenth African market, with initial operations in Accra and Kumasi under the CanalBox brand.

A GVA delegation led by General Manager Jean-François Dubois discussed the project with Samuel Nartey George, Ghana’s Minister of Digital Technology, Communication, and Innovation, on Thursday, Oct. 23. The minister welcomed the initiative, describing the proposed pricing as “revolutionary” and aligned with the government’s efforts to expand affordable digital access.

“I’m fully committed to initiatives that lower data costs and expand fibre connectivity across Ghana. If this offering delivers what you’ve described, high-speed, unlimited internet at competitive rates — I’ll personally champion its rollout,” George said.

He encouraged GVA to submit a formal proposal outlining its service plan, investment model, and any challenges requiring government support.

Benin was GVA’s most recent market, with CanalBox launching services in Cotonou on April 30, and now expanding into Abomey-Calavi. Before that, the company launched operations in Kampala, Uganda, in July 2024. GVA also operates in cities across Burkina Faso, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Togo, and Gabon, deploying nearly 40,000 kilometers of fiber that reach more than 2.8 million homes and businesses.

GVA’s expansion comes amid growing demand for high-speed connectivity. According to Omdia’s “Africa Broadband Outlook 2023” report, fiber adoption is rising across the continent, driven by bandwidth-heavy uses such as video calls, 4K streaming, and real-time gaming. The report estimates that fiber subscriptions in Africa reached 4.7 million in 2022, a figure expected to grow by 245% by 2028.

Like GVA, major African telecom operators, including MTN, Orange, Airtel, Maroc Telecom (Moov Africa), Paratus, and Liquid Intelligent Technologies, are expanding their fiber networks to meet surging demand. MTN Nigeria, for example, aims to connect eight million homes with fiber by 2028, though it cites vandalism as a continuing challenge across the continent.

Isaac K. Kassouwi