The Office National des
Télécommunications (Onatel) is a state-owned corporation in charge of the
provision of telecommunications services in Burundi. Onatel is
responsible to the Ministère des transports, postes et télécommunications. The
privatisation of the PTO with government retaining 60% of the share is planned for 1999.
It has a monopoly on fixed telephony.
The Agence de Régulation
et de Contrôle des Télécommunications (ARCT) is in charge of the regulation of
the telecommunications sector.
Three mobile telephony operating
licences have been granted for the GSM 9000 band. Two of the operators are already
operational and a third is expected to open its network soon.
Two companies hold Internet
operating licences. One of them is already in operation.
Teledensity:
- Total: 0.29
(2000)
- Largest cities:
5.43 (2000)
- Rest of the country:
0.05 (2000)
Digital main lines: 91.9%
(2000)
Waiting list for a telephone
line:
- Total as of 2000:
10,000
- Average waiting time:
7.9 years
- Total demand (k):
29.0 (2000)
- Satisfied demand:
65.5% (2000)
Telephone Tariff (in US$):
| PSTN
connection charge - Residential |
US$ 5.00 |
| PSTN
rental per month - Residential |
US$ 0.9 |
| PSTN
connection charge - Business |
US$ 5.00 |
| PSTN
rental per month - Business |
US$0.9 |
| Local
3-minute call |
US$ 0.03 |
Source:
African Telecommunication Indicators 2001.
Public telephones: 80
(2000)
Public telephones per 1,000
inhabitants: 0.01 (2000)
Mobile cellular subscribers:
16,300 (2000)
Telecel operates
cellular network in Burundi as a joint venture with Onatel.
Cellular subscribers as a % of
total telephone subscribers: 46.2 (2000)
Mobile cellular tariff: na
Telecommunications revenue
(M US$): 9.1 (2000)
Telecommunications
investment (M US$): 2.3 (2000)
Telecommunications
investment as a % of revenue: 20.7 (2000)
Telecom equipment exports
(M US$): na
Telecom equipment imports
(M US$): na
Telecentres: na
Facsimiles: 4,000
(1998)
Radio broadcasting: La
Radiotélévision Nationale du Burundi is a state-owned radio operator. Three independent
radio also operates in the country:
- Radio Culture (private)
- Radio UMWIZERO (private)
- Radio CCIB FM+ (Chamber of Commerce
of Burindi)
Local Radio
Broadcasters: Responding to the need for balanced and anti-inflammatory
broadcasting, Search for Common
Ground (SCG) established the first independent radio studio in Burundi
in March 1995. The goal of Studio Ijambo (Kirundi for "wise
words") is to produce high quality reconciliation programs dedicated to peace and
national reconciliation, and credible programs that promote dialogue among polarised
groups.
Television broadcasting: La
Radiotélévision Nationale du Burundi is a state-owned television operator.
Radios per
100 inhabitants: 6.8 (1995)
Television
receivers per 100 inhabitants: 3.0 (2000)
Pay TV
decoders: na
Cable TV
subscribers: na
Home
satellite dishes/antennas: 400 (2000)
