Beninese internet provider Isocel has officially launched the first phase of deployment of its fibre-optic access network at the headquarters of the Seme City Development Agency in Cotonou, it announced in a press release. A 70km fibre access network in several Cotonou neighbourhoods forms the initial stage of the rollout project, with ‘infrastructure already available in several areas of the city’, according to Isocel, which intends to migrate subscribers from its existing fixed-wireless broadband services to optical connections.
The wider fibre network deployment project in the Greater Cotonou area – named Isocel Next Generation Access Network (INGAN) – aims to span more than 450km by 2020. At the launch ceremony, Isocel and Seme City Development Agency signed a partnership giving users of Seme City Open Park (SCOP) free access to high speed internet via the INGAN network; SCOP facilitates research in areas including smart city/sustainability solutions.