MainOne, West Africa’s connectivity and data centre solution provider, has been chosen by the State of Burkina Faso, backed by the World Bank, to provide bulk connectivity services to a consortium of operators through the PAV-Burkina Cooperative for the next three years
The PRICAO Initiative was created by the Burkina Faso Government, in collaboration with a consortium of Internet Service Providers and Mobile Operators. The purpose of the initiative is to facilitate the creation of virtual landing points as a platform for the extension of broadband network coverage in the country, with a view to improving the quality of connectivity in the region; increase Internet penetration and improve the performance of ICT services.
To set up an independent and competitive framework for connectivity services, the Ministry of Digital Economy and Postal Services (MDENP) with the support of the World Bank, created a Cooperative Consortium (SCOOP PAV-BURKINA). The consortium brings together major electronic service stakeholders to deliver a turnkey project that will provide fibre optic transmission infrastructure between Ouagadougou and Dakola, to be delivered in two phases within a three-year period. This Cooperative has the heavy task of managing and administering the infrastructure judiciously in order to ensure a fair distribution for the various marker players.
The World Bank’s more than US$20mn support of the PRICAO initiative has enabled the Burkinabe State to set up a 200km fiber optic transmission link from Ouagadougou to Dakola.
The first phase of the project commenced in 2018, with the initial stage providing capacity in Ouagadougou over three years. Phase two of the project will commence in quarter two of year 2020 and will lead to the provision of additional internet capacity in Ouagadougou and Bobo Dioulasso within another three-year period. MainOne has been selected to deliver Phase two and will provide 10 Gbps broadband capacity in Ouagadougou, together with five Gbps in Bobo Dioulasso.
