Overview

Chad’s telecommunications market is one of the least developed in the world but is seeing rapid growth and investment. The Government of Chad and foreign investors are focused on developing mobile cellular technology and fiberoptic infrastructure to improve web connectivity and digitize documents and services. Fixed telephone lines are rarely used and broadband internet is extremely limited. Most users rely on mobile internet connections. Huawei broke ground on a national data center in July 2020 and is building out a 4G network and fiberoptic cables through a concessional loan provided by China EXIM Bank.

Chad’s mobile sector consists of a duopoly, with Airtel (owned by Indian Bharti Airtel) comprising 47% of the market and Tigo (owned by Maroc Telecom) comprising the other 53%. The national telecom and fixed-line operator, Sotel Tchad, has licenses to operate a mobile network but is not present in the market. Mobile networks offer basic mobile data services using GPRS and EDGE technology as well as 3G/4G.

Maintaining cellular networks in Chad is difficult and expensive due to harsh weather conditions and erratic electricity. The supply of handsets and tablets has not kept up with growing demand. Inexpensive handsets from Asia sold on the informal market are most common. Informal imports of Apple, Android, and Windows products from France, Saudi Arabia, and the United States are increasingly common.

Leading Sub-Sectors

Leading sub-sectors in telecommunications include: cybersecurity; mobile phone service providers; mobile network maintenance; satellite communications service providers; internet service providers; information services; internet services; and low-cost, high-quality mobile handsets, tablets, and computers.

Opportunities

There are opportunities for American companies in cybersecurity, mobile networks, fiberoptic cables, and internet service provision. Engineers and technical experts are in demand. There are also market opportunities for authorized retailers of consumer electronics as Chadians are looking for alternatives to non-durable Chinese electronics. In 2020, the Government of Chad eliminated an 18% excise duty tax on telecom services to reduce consumer costs and support mobile network penetration.

Resources

Ministry of Posts and New Information Technologies.

Agency for the Development of Information and Communication Technologies: www.adetic.td

Regulatory Authority for Electronic Communications and Posts: https://arcep.td/

For further information, please  contact the U.S. Embassy in N’Djamena at Ndjamena-Commercial@state.gov.