Benin ICT Sector Performance Review 2009/2010 Table 3: Evolution and distribution of the total number of mobile telephones per operator. Years GSM Operators 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 MTN 139.216 155.000 225.000 450.000 MOOV 108.766 135.993 175.000 7.000 25.000 0 BELL BENIN GLO MOBILE LIBERCOM TOTAL EVOLUTION (%) 2008 2009 790.097 1.182.014 1.578.786 272.106 693.941 978.470 1.357.838 45.000 172.000 371.576 709.987 849.359 0 0 0 0 564.052 1.097.958 68.407 73.870 75.000 84.279 196.163 190.843 149.408 323.389 389.863 520.000 978.385 2.051.777 3.625.366 5.033.349 58,33 20,55 33,38 88,15 109,71 76,69 38,84 Source: Survey data. It emerges from this table that GSM mobile telephony experienced very significant development in Benin. Indeed, with a total number of users estimated at 323,398 in 2003, the number of GSM mobile subscribers increased to 5,003,349 in 2009 (a rise of 1456%). In the Internet market, there are only eight Internet access providers to respond to all market demands. They are Bénin Télécom SA, Isocel Télécom, Connecteo Bénin, Pharaon Services Plus, Communitec, OTI, Firsnet and Campus Numérique Francophone (only for the university community). The service offering appears in form of a pyramid. Bénin Télécom SA is found at the top, followed by the Internet Access Providers. Finally, the bottom of this pyramid is made up of Internet cafés. Indeed, with a total number of users estimated at 323. 398 in 2003, the number of GSM mobile subscribers increased to 5. 003. 349 in 2009 (a rise of 1456%)! Certain GSM network operators, notably Moov, MTN and Global Com, offer an Internet connection to their customers and can increasingly be considered Internet access providers. The table below presents the total number of Mobile Internet subscribers in 2009. Table 4: Total number of mobile Internet subscribers. Operators Number of Subscribers (September 2009) MTN 105.875 Moov 22.121 Glo 4.341 Total 132.337 Source: ATRPT. The situation of connecting Benin internationally consists of: • nine specialised links of 64 kbps (cable), • two specialised links of 128 kbps (cable), • one specialised link of 1 mbps (cable), • eight specialised links of 64 kbps (wireless), • four specialised links of 128 kbps (wireless) and • one specialised link of 256 kbps (wireless). The advent of SAT3/WASC/SAFE fibre optic connections has helped strengthen infrastructure for international telecommunication, notable through the increase in the national bandwidth speed, which today is at 155 megabytes/second and via fibre optic connection between international telecommunication centres, the Republic of Togo, the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Burkina Faso. The same type of connection to Niger with an extension to Mali is underway. The two international transit centres are linked by fibre optic digital circuits. The audiovisual market presents the same configuration as that of the Internet, with a few television channels that offer their services. Only the radio broadcasting and IT markets break this mould because of much higher numbers of suppliers in these two markets. 9 The advent of SAT3/ WASC/SAFE fibre optic connections has helped strengthen infrastructure for international telecommunication, notably through the increase in the national bandwidth speed, which today is at 155 megabytes/ second and via fibre optic connection between international telecommunication centres, the Republic of Togo, the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Burkina Faso