Following the implementation of a
structural reform programme which established the Télécommunications code in 1994, two
decrees were passed by the government which set up the Agence des
Télécommunications de Côte d'Ivoire (ATCI) as the independent regulatory
authority and the Conseil des Télécommunications de Côte d'Ivoire (CTCI)
as the highest Télécom authority responsible for arbitration in case of problems between
ATCI, CI-Télécom and private operators.
In 1997, the national Télécom
operator, Côte d'Ivoire Telecom
(CI-Telecom), was partially privatised with France Cable et Radio as the
major strategic partner (51%) and the remainder of the equity (49%) being held by
government. CI-Télécom has a 20-year licence and exclusivity on basic services until
2005.
According to a performance
contract with the government, CI-Télécom is obliged to roll-out in the first contract
year:
- 35,000 new lines (30,000
lines in Abidjan, 2,000 lines in San Pedro and 3,000 lines in Bouake)
- 400 new public phones; and
- new lines in 63 rural areas.
The other performance indicators
for CI-Télécom is to increase the number of connected lines to 400,000 by 2002.
The national Télécommunications
regulator, ATCI, is responsible for assessment of CI-Telecom and other operators, and
auditing what has been achieved in terms of obligations assigned by
telecommunications policy and licensing.
A rural Télécom fund exists
which is independent of funds assigned by CI-Telecom.
Three operators have been
licensed by ATCI to provide GSM cellular mobile services in Côte
d'Ivoire:
- Société Ivoirienne de Mobiles (SIM) is the
largest cellular operator with over 29,500 subscribers in 1998. Ivoiris is 70% owned by
France Télécom.
- Télécel de Loteny
is the second largest cellular operator.
- Comstar is
the other cellular operator.
Coverage areas for all cellular
operators include Abidjan area, Bassam, Assini, San Pedro, Gagnoa, Yamoussoukro, Bouake,
Daloa, Korhogo and Daoukro. Soubre is only covered by Télécel de Loteny.
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Côte d'Ivoire is
one of the few countries in Africa which embarked in the promotion and the use of ICT
since the 1970s with the establishment of the Commission Nationale pour
l'Informatique (CNI), the Sécrétariat Général de l'Informatique (SGI)
and the Commission Ministérielle de l'Informatique.
The Conseil
National de Normalisation was established to work among others on the
standardisation of IT terminologies, IT tenders and other related IT activities.
The Centre
Informatique Régional de Côte d'Ivoire (CIRC) under the Ministère de
l'Enseignement Technique et de la Formation Professionelle is responsible for ICTs in the
academic and research sectors.
