Djibouti: Djibouti Communication Profile

Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband

Djibouti is one of the last nations in the world allowing its national telco, Djibouti Telecom (DT) a monopoly on all telecom services, inclunding fixed lines, mobile, internet and broadband.

The lack of competition has meant that the market has not lived up to its potential, although the country has a service-based economy consistently growing at 5 to 6% per year and is one of the best connected for fibre optic international internet bandwidth in all region, supplying transit services to neighbouring nations such as landlocked Ethiopia with a people of 90 million.

Broadband services in Djibouti itself are still very expensive. Increase in the mobile and internet sector is presently accelerating as DT is preparing to launch a third generation (3G) mobile network, but competition and foreign investment is needed to unleash the market's full potential. In preparation for this, DT itself is forging international alliances.

Market highlights:

• One of the fastest growing telecom markets in Africa;
• The best connected hub for internet bandwidth in the Horn of Africa region;
• Growth in the mobile and internet sector is accelerating ahead of 3G launch;
• Market liberalisation and foreign investment is needed to unleash the market's potential;
• Services-based economy with 5-6% annual GDP growth.

Estimated market penetration rates in Djibouti’s telecoms sector – end 2012