5G should accelerate the Ivorian government’s digital transformation ambitions. In particular, it would facilitate the implementation of smart homes, e-learning, e-government, telemedicine, artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, etc.
The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Côte d’Ivoire (ARTCI) is already preparing the commercial deployment of fifth-generation (5G) mobile technology in the country. The regulator is looking for a firm to develop mechanisms for sharing telecoms infrastructure in the context of the deployment of ultra-high speed. A call for tenders was launched for this purpose on Tuesday 22 August.
It was in December 2021 that the Ivorian government really embarked on the race for 5G with the adoption of the roadmap for the deployment of the technology. Abidjan aims to launch the technology before the African Cup of Nations (CAN) to be held in the country in January 2024.
Ivorian telecom operators are also preparing to deploy the technology. MTN, which began testing 5G in December 2021, said it was only waiting for authorization from the competent authorities to launch its 5G services. Its direct competitor, Orange, launched its “Orange 5G Lab” in September 2022 , a space for experimentation and discovery of 5G open to start-ups and digital professionals.
It should be remembered that the sharing of infrastructures envisaged by ARTCI should make it possible to accelerate the deployment of new technology and reduce costs for telecom operators. “ Operators should consider both passive infrastructure sharing (e.g., physical site and power systems) and active infrastructure sharing (e.g., antennas and transceivers) to cost-effectively achieve site performance and 5G capacity ,” recommends the Global Mobile Operators Association (GSMA).