Introduction
How is the communication system in Burundi? Here, Broadcast media include state-controlled Radio Television Nationale de Burundi (RTNB) operates a TV station and a national radio network; 3 private TV stations and about 10 privately owned radio stations; transmissions of several international broadcasters are available in Bujumbura (2019). What about Telecommuication systems and Internet? Explore this article to find out more.
More about communication in Burundi
| Internet country code | .bi |
|---|---|
| Broadband - fixed subscriptions | |
| Total | 4,230 (2020 est.) |
| Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants | 0.04 (2020 est.) |
| Internet users | |
| Total | 754,000 (2021 est.) |
| Percent of population | 5.8% (2021 est.) |
| Telecommunication systems | |
| General assessment | Burundi provides an attractive telecom market given its high population density and existing low subscription rates for all services; one downside for investors is that the country has a very low economic output,and an unconducive business environment; disposable income is also very low, and fixed-line infrastructure is poor outside the main urban areas; this is a greater motivation for investors to focus on improving mobile networks than in expanding fixed-line infrastructure; to overcome difficulties associated with the poor telecom infrastructure, the government has supported a number of prominent telcos building a national fiber backbone network; this network offers onward connectivity to submarine cable infrastructure landings in Kenya and Tanzania; the first sections of this network were switched on in early 2014, and additional provinces have since been connected; in addition, the government in early 2018 kick-started the Burundi Broadband project, which aims to deliver national connectivity by 2025; based on this improved infrastructure the government and ITU have developed an ICT strategy to make use of telecoms to promote the country’s socio-economic development through to 2028; progress made by Tanzania with its own national backbone network has benefited Burundi, which has been provided with onward connectivity to most countries in the region; International bandwidth capacity has continued to increase in recent years, including a 38% increase in the nine months to September 2021, resulting in lower retail prices for consumers; two of the mobile operators have launched 3G and LTE services to capitalize on the growing demand for internet access; the number of mobile subscribers increased 7% in the third quarter of 2021, quarter-on-quarter; similar growth is expected for the next two years at least, which will help bring the mobile level closer to the average for the region (2022); Burundi’s Telecommunications Regulation and Control Agency (ARCT) has recently published its roadmap for the deployment of 5G services in the country, setting out a target of July 2024 for the introduction of commercial services. (2022) |
| Domestic | Fixed-line connections stand at less than 1 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular usage is about 62 per 100 persons (2021) |
| International | Country code - 257; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean); the government, supported by the World Bank, has backed a joint venture with a number of prominent telecoms to build a national fiber backbone network, offering onward connectivity to submarine cable infrastructure landings in Kenya and Tanzania (2019) |
| Telephones - fixed lines | |
| Total subscriptions | 15,000 (2022 est.) |
| Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants | (2022 est.) less than 1 |
| Telephones - mobile cellular | |
| Total subscriptions | 7.471 million (2022 est.) |
| Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants | 58 (2022 est.) |
All Important Facts about Burundi
Want to know more about Burundi? Check all different factbooks for Burundi below.
