Benin-based broadband provider Isocel Telecom has announced ambitious plans to expand its network to reach up to half a million households, emphasising that fibre is still essential to fill the gaps that mobile connectivity cannot yet address.
Speaking to Developing Telecoms at the Africa Tech Festival in Cape Town, Isocel Telecom’s Founder and CEO, Robert Aouad (pictured), revealed that the company has already connected 100,000 households with 80,000 serviceable plugs and is now entering the second phase of its deployment. This next phase will increase the number of active plugs from 20,000 to 80,000, supported by €20 million in funding. The expansion aims to improve service quality and enable the launch of new offerings, such as on-demand Internet Protocol Television (IPTV).
Aouad explained that the first phase of Isocel’s rollout focused on densely populated urban areas, resulting in the provider now serving between 8,000 and 10,000 subscribers. The company also offers Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) services for areas not yet covered by its fibre network. FWA accounts for 10% of Isocel’s subscribers, catering to customers in regions without broadband infrastructure.
Reflecting on the journey, Aouad highlighted a significant reduction in the cost of internet access, which now stands at $25 per month—down from hundreds of dollars a decade ago. A key factor in achieving this affordability, he noted, was Isocel’s access to international bandwidth through its participation in cable consortiums, including the Africa Coast to Europe (ACE) submarine cable system. “That helped a lot because we’re not buying IP on the market. Also, because we own the network, we can reduce costs, and our return-on-investment model focuses on the mid- to long-term rather than the short term,” Aouad explained.
The CEO also echoed calls from telecom executives across Africa for lower taxes on the sector, arguing that such reductions are critical to financing costly network expansions. High tariffs imposed by governments seeking to fund public services have posed challenges to operators, he added.
