Chad Says It Needs 8,000 Kilometres More Fibre, With Six Provinces Still Unconnected
CHAD · TELECOMS
Key Facts
- —What happened Chad’s telecoms minister said the country needs about 8,000 kilometres more fibre for full coverage.
- —Who he told Farouk Mollah Banna, the World Bank’s resident representative in Chad.
- —What is missing Six provinces remain unconnected to the national backbone.
- —How few people are online About 87 percent of Chadians were not using the internet as of 2024, according to the telecoms union.
- —The single exit Chad’s only operational international connection runs through Cameroon.
- —What broke the other one The eastern link became inoperative because of the conflict in Sudan.
Eight thousand kilometres short, six provinces dark, and one working way out of the country.
Chad needs about 8,000 kilometres of additional fibre optic cable to cover its territory. Telecoms and digital economy minister Haliki Choua Mahamat gave the figure on 15 September 2026.
What the Minister Said
Haliki Choua Mahamat, Chad’s minister for telecoms and the digital economy, put the shortfall at about 8,000 kilometres of fibre. He gave the figure to Farouk Mollah Banna, the World Bank’s resident representative.
He also said six provinces remain unconnected to the national backbone. Chad is a landlocked country of roughly 1.28 million square kilometres.
How the Existing Network Is Built
Chad’s backbone runs along three axes, to the west, the south and the east. The infrastructure is state-owned and operated by Sotel Tchad and Sudachad.
The eastern axis has become inoperative because of the conflict in Sudan. That leaves the connection through Cameroon as the country’s only working international exit.
Why a Single Exit Is a Problem
A landlocked country reaches the global internet through a neighbour’s cable. With one route, any fault or political disruption there cuts the whole country off.
The World Bank has recommended new links toward Libya and the Central African Republic. Both would add redundancy that Chad currently does not have.
How Few People Are Online
About 87 percent of Chadians were not using the internet as of 2024, according to the International Telecommunication Union. That is among the lowest usage rates anywhere.
Mobile phone penetration stands at about 44.3 percent, while mobile internet use is about 12.6 percent. People have phones and do not have data.
What Coverage Exists on Paper
Second-generation mobile coverage reaches about 86.9 percent of the population and third-generation about 84.5 percent. Fourth-generation coverage reaches about 60 percent.
Chad’s population is roughly 25 million. Coverage figures describe where a signal exists, not who can afford to use it.
The Money Already Committed
The World Bank approved a digital transformation project for Chad on 25 September 2024. It combines a grant of about US$92.2 million with about US$30 million of commercial financing.
The project runs to a closing date of 30 April 2029. That is an administrative deadline rather than a construction target.
An Earlier Programme and Its Financier
A separate state modernisation programme handed over its first phase at Sarh in December 2025. It is valued at about 175.1 million euros, roughly US$205 million, covering 1,200 kilometres of fibre and a national data centre.
Financing for that programme is linked to Exim Bank of China. The 1,200 kilometres it covers is planned capacity rather than cable already in the ground.
The Regional Link
Chad also has a segment of the trans-Saharan fibre route. Published lengths for it differ between about 503 and 550 kilometres depending on the source.
The wider project is valued at about 79 million euros, of which about 29 million comes from the European Union. It is one strand of a cross-Sahara connection rather than a national solution.
What It Means on the Ground
For businesses in the six unconnected provinces, the practical position is that fixed broadband is unavailable. Operations depend on mobile data or satellite links.
For anyone planning work in Chad, redundancy planning is not optional. A single international route means outages are a question of when.
What Is Not Yet Known
No construction timetable for the 8,000 kilometres has been published. Nor has a financing plan for that amount been set out.
The government has also not named the six unconnected provinces publicly. That detail would let businesses plan around the gap.
What to Watch
Any announcement of a second international route, toward Libya or the Central African Republic. That is the change that would most reduce Chad’s exposure.
Watch also for disbursement under the World Bank project. Approval in 2024 and construction are different things.
More: Africa news and analysis, every day from The Rio Times.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much fibre does Chad need?
About 8,000 kilometres more for full territorial coverage, according to its telecoms minister.
How many provinces are unconnected?
Six.
How many Chadians use the internet?
About 13 percent. Roughly 87 percent were not using it as of 2024.
How does Chad connect to the global internet?
Through a single operational route via Cameroon.
Why is the eastern route down?
It became inoperative because of the conflict in Sudan.
What funding exists?
A World Bank project of about US$122 million approved in September 2024, and a separate programme valued at about 175 million euros.
Sources: Statements by Chad’s telecoms and digital economy minister Haliki Choua Mahamat, 15 September 2026, as reported by Ecofin Agency; World Bank project documents; International Telecommunication Union data for 2024.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error
LatAm Markets: Live Signals → — real-time movers, turnover leaders and FX across Latin America.
Read More from The Rio Times