Telecommunications Reform in Cote d'Ivoire

Laffont, Jean-Jacques ; N'Guessan, Tchetche

World Bank, Washington, DC

关键词: BALANCE OF PAYMENTS;    BANKRUPTCY;    BROADCASTING;    CALLS;    CELLULAR OPERATORS;   

DOI  :  10.1596/1813-9450-2895
RP-ID  :  WPS2895

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: World Bank Open Knowledge Repository

【 摘 要 】

This paper analyzes Coted'Ivoire's experience with telecommunicationsliberalization and privatization. Cote d'Ivoireprivatized its incumbent operator in 1997, and granted thenewly privatized firm seven years of fixed-line exclusivitywhile introducing "managed competition" in thecellular market and free competition in value-added services(VAS). By March 2001, three cellular operators and a numberof VAS providers had entered the market. Reform has thussignificantly changed the landscape of Coted'Ivoire's telecommunications sector and hasbrought with it tremendous improvement in sectorperformance. Between 1997 and 2001, fixed-line telephonepenetration grew from 1.03 to 1.80 per hundred people, whilemobile penetration skyrocketed from 0.26 to 4.46. But it isstill too early to assess the validity of grantingexclusivity to the incumbent operator. While penetrationincreased, the operator did not meet objectives regardingrural telephony and service quality. Moreover, fixed-linepenetration increased in areas where the operator facedcompetition from mobile providers.