Mauritius: Central Electricity Board ventures into the internet provider market

(Agence Ecofin) - The Central Electricity Board (CEB), national company producing and distributing electric power in Mauritius, has decided to enter the internet service supply market. The company is considering using its extensive aerial fiber optic network which has been up to now underused and coupled with its high-voltage power lines to meet the ever increasing demand of Mauritians for quality high speed internet connections.

According to the Mauritian newspaper Défi Quotidien, the CEB has already retained foreign consultants to undertake a feasibility study of the project whose conclusions are expected by September 2015. Following CEB's draft agenda, the supply of internet services to the general population could happen as soon as May or June 2016. With many internet providers, the connection prices would drop much to the delight of users who would see their purchasing power increase.

CEB's entry in the internet segment comes in an ever changing market of technological innovations but with minimal coverage. Indeed, though all the operators have migrated towards 4G, many areas of the country remain deprived of the very high speed connections.

Mauritius Telecom's monopoly on fiber optic has territorial limits. That is why Emtel launched Fiber Through The Air (FTTA) on 16th June 2015. It is a very high speed internet supply technology through radio waves supported by a fixed connection. It also does not extend to the whole country yet. With its bigger electricity network and competitive prices, the CEB hopes to reach the under-covered zones of internet access and steal away from the telecom operators those already covered.