The Beninese ISP subsidiary of the French-owned Canal+ pay-TV group has been ordered by the state to stop the deployment of fibre-optic infrastructure for its high speed internet access service in capital Cotonou, for failing to comply with licensing regulations, reports Telegeography
Canal+ had struck a deal to operate internet access services via the network of the Beninese Electric Power Company (SBEE). The agreement provided for the operation of internet infrastructure by Canal Box Benin, which is registered as a Beninese ISP under the name Espace Informatique Benin (EIT) It appears that its current infrastructure deployment activities may not be covered by its existing licensing.
Canal+/Canal Box Benin bought EIT in February 2016, although Telegeography claimed that the French-led group had ran into problems by not complying with Benin’s telecoms legislation from July 2014, and has instead ‘followed the previous guidelines, dating from 2002.’
The Canal Box internet service is meant to be applied across the capital before an expansion to other areas, with the CEO of Canal+ declaring that: ‘Our ambition is to mesh the entire city of Cotonou, and gradually, a fibre-optic network that will enable end users to benefit from very high speed internet,’ whilst citing the example of successful powerline communications (PLC) internet services in Brazil as a precedent.
