Chad is intensifying its efforts to enhance the quality of telecommunications services across the country, with the government taking a firmer stance against operators failing to meet service standards.
Minister Boukar Michel recently convened a meeting with the chief executives of Airtel and Moov Africa, issuing a strict one-week deadline for them to connect to the national fibre optic network.
This move is part of the broader Electronic Communications Infrastructure Modernisation and Improvement Project (PMICE), which has seen the deployment of 1,275km of fibre optics aimed at improving network performance. Despite these developments, the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications reported an increase in consumer complaints related to persistent issues such as frequent network outages, inconsistent internet connectivity, and high pricing relative to service quality.
Minister Boukar Michel urged the operators to implement tangible solutions to address these problems: “the public’s expectations in terms of communication have never been higher, and it is unacceptable to continue like this.”
Chad’s mobile connectivity coverage remains incomplete. Data from the International Telecommunication Union’s (ITU) DataHub platform shows that in 2024, coverage stood at 86.9% for 2G, 84.5% for 3G, and 60% for 4G. The country has yet to deploy 5G technology.
Additionally, the affordability of mobile internet remains a significant obstacle. In 2024, the cost of the most affordable broadband plan offering at least 2 GB of data monthly via 3G technology was equivalent to 8.37% of the average monthly gross national income per capita. This figure exceeds the African average of 4.48% recorded in 2023 and is well above the 2% threshold recommended by the ITU for affordable internet access.
