Telecommunications 

The Ministry of Development of the Digital Economy and Posts of Benin has been created in Benin to reinforce strategically the government’s ambition to pursue and to achieve sub-regional integration through telecommunications and ICT, particularly through the interconnection of States and the establishment and maintenance of a common telecommunications network in the West Africa community.   

With the economic crisis of the late 1980s, Benin, like other countries in sub-Saharan Africa, was led to initiate a program of deregulation aimed ultimately to liberalize sectors formerly under a structure of public monopoly. To this end, and following different procedures, agencies have been created to regulate the sectors concerned, including the telecommunications sector. Thus, the telecommunications sector knows significant inflations since the end of the 1980s. The incumbent operator has been split into two separate entities: La Poste of Benin SA and Benin Telecom SA. Previously reduced to the old Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), telecommunications have been extended to mobile telephony and the Internet. Each market category is regulated by a different agency. The audio-visual and communication market are subject to ex ante regulation, provided for by the Constitution and provided by the High Authority for Audio-visual and Communication.   

On the other hand, other markets, including the telecommunications market, experienced two-stage regulation. Before deregulation of the sector, the fixed-line, mobile and Internet markets were directly regulated by the ministry in charge of telecommunications. But with the advent of deregulation of the sector, these markets are now the subject of ex post regulation, created by Decree No. 2007-209, dated May 10, 2007, and provided by a regulatory agency called Transitional Authority of Regulation of Posts and Telecommunications (ATRPT).   

The Regulatory Authority for Electronic Communications and Post of Benin (Arcep-Benin) has been created to provide public access to electronic communications services and quality postal services across the country at affordable prices. Arcep Benin's mission is to foster the emergence of the digital economy; to promote healthy competition in the electronic communications and postal market through efficient regulation; optimize the planning and management of scarce resources, including radio frequencies, and promote the development of the universal postal service through efficient regulation of the sector.   

The ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) sector in Benin is experiencing incessant evolution, due to progressive investment in the development of infrastructure and services linked to this sector, leading in its wake to progress such as Internet connectivity has expanded, telecommunications networks have been modernized and access to IT has been promoted.  

Beninese internet subscribers totaled, in January 2022, the figure of 3.66 million, which explains the 2.7% increase achieved compared to the previous year, in the sense that 29.0 % of the entire population has benefited from access to the internet, leaving, on the other hand, a majority of nearly 71.0%, still offline at the start of the year. It should be noted, however, that under the still palpable impact of COVID-19, it would be possible that the actual number of internet subscribers exceeds the reported figure. 

• List and contacts of Mobile telecom operators in Benin 2023 

• List and contact of the internet providers in Benin 2023 

• List and contacts of the postal operators in Benin 2023 

• List and contacts of startups platforms in Benin 2023 

• Fixed Internet cost table Benin June 2023 

• Mobile internet cost table Benin June 2023 

Telecommunications Regulations 

The importation and licensing of humanitarian communication equipment: VSAT, HF, VHF, Thurayas, etc. is regulated in accordance with full declaration to the authorities before the materials arrival and the MoU signed between the humanitarian agency and the government including the following information: 

• how to open the service;  

• geographical coverage;  

• the conditions of access; 

• the nature of the services provided by the service; 

• the rates that will be applied to users  

The declaration form, duly completed, signed and stamped by the declarant or by the legal representative of the company: 

• a copy of the commercial or humanitarian register. This form is not required in the case of non-profit associations and Public Administrations and Institutions.  

• a legalized photocopy of the identity document of the declarant or, where applicable, his legal representative. This form is not required in the case of Public Administration and Establishment 

• the receipt for payment of file management fees fixed at one hundred and fifty thousand (150,000) CFA francs, per service declared. But can be exonerated for the Humanitarian agencies.   

It has been acted to establish after putting in place the ARCEP as the central body to license and regulate communications activities and services in the country and to provide for related purposes. All communications equipment imports require a clearance letter from that Authority. Securing a clearance letter prior to importation can help avoid delays at the port of entry.   

Existing Humanitarian Telecoms Systems 

Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 

Several private internet services providers are available in the country. 

Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) 

There three mobile network operators in the country: MTN, Moov Africa and most recent one CELTIIS 

For information on MNOs in Benin please visit here