• Burkina Faso plans to install 800 telecom towers in 2025 to expand network access.

• The project targets 1,000 white zones by 2027, up from 183 connected by 2022.

• Security risks and infrastructure vandalism may hinder full implementation.

The government of Burkina Faso plans to roll out 800 telecom towers in 2025 to facilitate network coverage in “white zones,” or areas devoid of any network coverage until now. This investment, unveiled last week, is expected to bolster telecom coverage in the country and propel the goal of widespread connectivity by 2027.

According to details provided by the Ministry of Digital Transition during a meeting with telecom regulator representatives and operators, 250 sites will be launched under the Digital Transformation Acceleration Project (PACT DIGITAL), while the remaining 550 will be financed by the Universal Access and Service Fund (FASU).

The move aligns with the objective announced by Burkina Faso authorities in August 2024 to provide coverage to 1,000 white zones within three years, out of a total of 1,700 identified nationally. In 2022, 183 white zones had already been connected via the FASU at a total cost of CFA6.2 billion (approximately $10.7 million).

Official data from August 2024 reveals that the coverage rate of mobile telephony services (2G) stands at 85%, versus 64% for 3G internet and 46% for 4G internet. The International Telecommunication Union estimated the country’s internet penetration rate at 17% in 2023. It also noted that 55.9% of the population owns a mobile phone. This puts the nation’s mobile phone penetration in perspective, with around 27.5 million SIM cards for an estimated population of 23.4 million.

However, with seven months left in the year, it remains uncertain whether the project has indeed taken off or its current stage of progress. The Ministry of Digital Transition merely indicated in its statement that the tender file is “in process” without clarifying if it pertains to a portion or the entire project. The targeted outcome represents more than quadruple the number of white zones covered in 2022.

This ambition confronts on-ground realities, particularly security challenges that may obstruct the deployment and operation of telecom infrastructures. In October 2024, Orange Burkina Faso reported nearly 15% of its sites were inaccessible. Earlier in the year, Moov Africa had warned of vandalism in high-risk areas. According to a study by the Regulatory Authority for Postal and Electronic Communications (ARCEP), the number of towers destroyed by terrorist groups rose from 11 in 2019 to 106 in 2022. The number of out-of-service or inaccessible sites has also risen, reaching 681 in August 2023 from 632 in 2022. This situation has led to a 10% to 20% reduction in network coverage, as per the authorities.

Lastly, network availability does not necessarily guarantee adoption and effective utilization of services. Other factors such as access to terminals, offer costs, digital skills, perception of the added value of services, user experience quality, security concerns, and social and cultural norms also come into play.