Telecommunications Reform in Cote d'Ivoire

Telecommunications Reform in Cote d'Ivoire

This paper analyzes Cote d'Ivoire's experience with telecommunications liberalization and privatization. Cote d'Ivoire privatized its incumbent operator in 1997, and granted the newly privatized firm seven years of fixed-line exclusivity...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors:	Laffont, Jean-Jacques, N'Guessan, Tchetche
Format:	Policy Research Working Paper
Language:	English en_US
Published:	World Bank, Washington, DC 2014
Subjects:	BALANCE OF PAYMENTS BANKRUPTCY BROADCASTING CALLS CELLULAR OPERATORS CENTRAL BANK CIRCUITS COLLABORATION COMMUNICATION NETWORKS COMPETITION POLICY COMPETITIVENESS DATA NETWORKS DATA TRANSMISSION DEBT DEVALUATION DISPOSABLE INCOME ECONOMIC SITUATION EXCHANGE RATE EXCLUSIVE RIGHTS FIBER OPTICS FINANCIAL SECTOR GDP GEOSTATIONARY SATELLITES GNP GNP PER CAPITA GROWTH POTENTIAL GROWTH RATE IC ITU LDCS MEDIA MONOPOLY NEW TECHNOLOGIES POLITICAL PARTIES POSTAL SERVICES PRESENTATIONS PRIVATE NETWORKS PROGRAMMING PROGRAMS RADIO RADIO FREQUENCY RADIO FREQUENCY SPECTRUM RADIO LINKS RADIO NETWORKS RADIO SERVICES REGULATORY FRAMEWORK RURAL TELEPHONY SATELLITES SERVICE QUALITY SUBMARINE CABLES SUBSCRIBERS SWITCHING TAXATION TEACHERS TECHNICAL SUPERVISION TELECOM TELECOMMUNICATION TELECOMMUNICATION ACTIVITIES TELECOMMUNICATION COMPANIES TELECOMMUNICATION NETWORKS TELECOMMUNICATION SECTOR TELECOMMUNICATION SERVICES TELECOMMUNICATIONS TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMPANIES TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMPANY TELECOMMUNICATIONS DEVELOPMENT TELECOMMUNICATIONS INDUSTRY TELECOMMUNICATIONS LIBERALIZATION TELECOMMUNICATIONS REFORM TELECOMMUNICATIONS SECTOR TELECOMMUNICATIONS SERVICES TELEDENSITY TELEGRAPH TELEPHONE TELEPHONE DENSITY TELEPHONE EQUIPMENT TELEPHONE EXCHANGES TELEPHONE LINES TELEPHONE SERVICES TELEPHONES TELEVISION VAS WAGES WEB
Online Access:	http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2002/09/2028951/telecommuications-reform-cote-divoire http://hdl.handle.net/10986/19333

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Summary:	This paper analyzes Cote d'Ivoire's experience with telecommunications liberalization and privatization. Cote d'Ivoire privatized its incumbent operator in 1997, and granted the newly privatized firm seven years of fixed-line exclusivity while introducing "managed competition" in the cellular market and free competition in value-added services (VAS). By March 2001, three cellular operators and a number of VAS providers had entered the market. Reform has thus significantly changed the landscape of Cote d'Ivoire's telecommunications sector and has brought with it tremendous improvement in sector performance. Between 1997 and 2001, fixed-line telephone penetration grew from 1.03 to 1.80 per hundred people, while mobile penetration skyrocketed from 0.26 to 4.46. But it is still too early to assess the validity of granting exclusivity to the incumbent operator. While penetration increased, the operator did not meet objectives regarding rural telephony and service quality. Moreover, fixed-line penetration increased in areas where the operator faced competition from mobile providers.