Although Djibouti Telecom hails from one of the smallest nations in Africa, the company has big plans to increase their customer base, by rolling out plans to become the gateway to Europe. They are currently the only telecommunications provider in Djibouti, but have a lot more to offer their surrounding neighbours.
“We are the only provider in the country and we want to leverage the special advantages that Djibouti’s strategic position offers. Djibouti Telecom is not just about bringing the internet to Africa; it is also about putting Djibouti on the map. It is a very small country that deserves more recognition for its role as the gateway to Europe,” Abdourahman Mohamed Hassan, general manager of Djibouti Telecom told Business Excellence.
The company has the strongest presence in East Africa out of all the telecommunications providers, and their customers include international carriers, mobile and fixed telephony operators, internet service providers and major government and private sector clients.
On how they will be expanding their presence, Hassan said that they will approach it from two sides. “Our strategy is to reach out with different nodes of achieving connectivity. Every operator wants diversity in terms of the international linkages at their disposal with the security of a solid back-up so traffic can be diverted by a secure route if necessary. By offering a number of different points of presence (POPs), we become a very attractive proposition.”
The second approach lies in supply-and-demand. “We aim to obtain capacity and then offer it to different areas where there is growing demand, but limited supply. To date, we have invested in transcontinental as well as regional submarine cables and we are steadily expanding our geographic reach. For example, we are negotiating a new agreement with MENA-ICS investors in order for Djibouti to become a landing point and own capacity over this submarine cable system,” he added.
Although they have big dreams for Africa, they won’t be able to do it alone. “It was very important to us to partner with a top tier provider to offer the most reliable and robust service possible to meet Africa’s soaring demands, both now and in the future. Moving forward, it will also enable us to look more closely at new connections with the Middle East and Europe. In five years’ time, I want us to be recognised as the East African countries’ gateway to Europe,” he concluded.
Charlie Fripp – Consumer Tech editor
