Burkina Faso, like several other African countries, is engaged in the digital transformation process. The country's ambition is to use digital technologies as tools to transform its society and accelerate socio-economic development.

The government of Burkina Faso has selected Bridge Fiber Solutions (BFS) to operate and manage the country's national telecommunications backbone. The company launched its commercial activities in Ouagadougou on Friday, March 10 in the presence of the Minister of Digital Transition, Posts and Electronic Communications, Aminata Zerbo-Sabané (photo, center).

Speaking about this new step towards an effective digital transition, Aminata Zerbo-Sabané said that "the government has made an important investment by building this national backbone that connects the entire territory with fiber optics and gives access to high-speed internet [necessary] to accelerate digitalization to businesses and the public administration.”  

With the government's approval, BFS becomes the sole manager of the public backbone network in Burkina Faso. In that light, it will provide telecom companies and other entities with various services such as capacity leasing, dark fiber leasing, wavelength leasing, duct leasing, and Internet access. It will also invest in the modernization and extension of the network as needed.

The national telecommunications backbone project was launched in 2016 to develop national and international connectivity by interconnecting the country’s 45 provinces with a 3,000 km long optical fiber.

According to BFS director general Boris Compaoré, the launch of BFS is the beginning of a long process that aims, in the short term, to reduce the digital divide and offer quality Internet and favorable conditions to various digital companies and the administration at very competitive rates.  

Samira Njoya