Orange Madagascar, a telecom operator, has announced plans to expand its network coverage to reach 90% of the population by the close of 2024. The company’s CEO, Frédéric Debord, revealed this goal during the announcement of the new license that the company recently obtained.
The comprehensive license bought for US$30 million in December 2023 will enable the operator to offer services across various platforms, including satellite, fibre, copper, and radio.
Orange Madagascar has also signed an agreement with NuRAN Wireless, a Canadian telecom infrastructure provider, to deploy 500 2G and 3G sites in rural areas over ten years. The company has developed its infrastructure without any subsidies. The investment allowed the operator to increase its technical site numbers by 60%, establish a new North backbone, and improve transmission capacities.
CEO Frédéric Debord stated that Orange Madagascar is contributing significantly to the economic and social development of Madagascar by democratizing access to high-speed internet and developing telecommunications infrastructure.
The expansion of the network coverage is expected to increase Orange Madagascar’s market share and reach thousands of additional people, especially in a context where over half of the population lacks access to mobile telephony services. According to DataReportal, the internet penetration rate in the country stands at 19.7%.
