(Ecofin agency) - Chad is one of the countries with the most expensive internet prices in Africa.With the explosion of connectivity demand, Chadians, in particular young people, are increasingly claiming a service adapted to their financial realities.

The Chadian government is negotiating a drop in Internet prices with telecom operators.Exchanges were held for this purpose, Wednesday, January 19, between the Minister of Posts and the Digital Economy, Idriss Saleh Bashar, and the Directors General of Moov Africa and Airtel Chad, Mohamed Dkhissi and Djibril Tobe mobile companies.

On the Moov Africa website, it is said that a package of 1 gigabit (GB) of the prepaid mobile internet is billed at 1,000 FCFA for a validity period of 24 hours.For the less wealthy, the 200 24 -hour validity package costs 400 FCFA.At ATTERTEL, a valid (MB) valid 24 -hour package costs 500 FCFA and and 1 GB goes to 1,500 FCFA.Quite expensive prices compared to those practiced at the neighboring country, Cameroon, where Orange offers the 100 MB package valid 24 hours at 100 FCFA and 1,000 FCFA for 2 GB.This is the same price at the competitor MTN.

During exchanges with Mohamed Dkhissi and Djibril Tobe, Idriss Saleh Bashar said that the tariff proposals already made to the ministry are neither brilliant nor beneficial to Chadians, both in terms of price and validity duration.He asked Moov Africa Chad and Airtel Chad representatives to make readjustments again.

In recent months, Internet users have been claiming the reduction in Internet prices in the country.In December 2021, during the second Chadian youth forum, Mahamat Idriss Deby, the president of the Transitional Military Council, had the ministry in charge of the digital economy, in concert with operators and access providers,Reduce the internet access cost by 30 % to put connectivity within the reach of all strata of the Chadian population.

During the COVID-19, the quality and affordable Internet has been essential for more than one title.The service has demonstrated its usefulness in access to health care, education, trade, continuity of certain professional activities.It is also an essential component of the National Digital Transformation Program adopted in July 2020 in N’Djamena.

Isaac k.Kassouwi

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