Angola’s telecoms sector continues to develop at a decent pace thanks to a forward-thinking government and many incentives and measures that have encouraged cross-border investment agreements and enticed leading providers, whose investments have boosted coverage and competition and lowered prices for customers.
State-of-the-art information and communication technology (ICT) network infrastructure has also boosted the nationwide rollout of the pro-business administration’s digitalization drive that utilizes the latest hardware and software to collate and improve public access to key services, including health and education. Angola’s current telecoms providers are the experienced quartet of Africell, Movicel, Unitel and state-owned Angola Telecom.
“Our telecommunications sector was put to the test during the pandemic. In recent years we have made a lot of investments in telecommunication networks; with the installation of fiber-optic networks for the entire country, infrastructure for submarine cables, and a set of other needs so the market could ensure the operation and development needed,” explained Angola’s Minister of Telecommunications, Information Technologies and Social Communication Manuel Homem. “Angola wants to digitalize the African continent and has already taken steps. We want affordable prices; our country has a vast territorial dimension. We are going to have more competition and better prices, but are also introducing a series of services like those of virtual mobile operators. Technology will accelerate the development of Angola in the next 10 years.”
Sector ripe for growth and investment
That positive outlook is shared by Adilson Santos, chairman of Angola Telecom, who stated while the sector has achieved giant strides over the past few years, there is plenty more potential that has yet to be fulfilled. “Our challenge is extremely big as the indices say we still have 50% of the population to reach; but this challenge also shows the opportunity that exists for investors to come here, including in partnerships with current operators. Angola Telecom is totally available for any partnership. We are open to investment opportunities that can bring us added value and that result in a win-win situation.
We have a lot of needs as we still have very few ICT equipment manufacturers, but it also opens a very big window of opportunity.”
This report was produced by Global Insight and can also be read here:
https://info.japantimes.co.jp/international-reports/pdf/20220826-GI-Angola.pdf
Read full interviews here: www.angola.global-insight.net
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