Operators in Togo are competing for share in the country's growing telecoms market as demand for 4G and fibre optic network infrastructure services increases.

On 22 March Vivendi Africa launched its fibre optic network service in the country's capital city of Lomé with the intention to roll the offering out nationally, while Togocel has announced plans to launch its 4G services in April 2018.

Vivendi has become the second private telecoms operator to launch high-speed Fibre-to-the-Home (FTTH) internet service with the intention to target private and corporate customers.

For the launch, Vivendi entered a commercial partnership with the CANAL+ group to introduce the Canalbox high speed broadband internet service. The box costs FCFA45,000 and customers will pay a monthly fee of FCFA30,000.

Cina Lawson, Togo's Minister of the Digital Economy, said Vivendi and CANAL+ will compete with those offering wired services (Togo Telecom), 3G network (Moov and TogoCel), satellite (Café Informatique) and Teolis' FH/LTE.

"The increasing competition should help in lowering the cost of telecoms services in Togo," Lawson added.

The capital city is also the preferred launch pad for Togocel's 4G services.

Affoh Atcha-Dédji, Director General of the government-owned company said the 4G would enable the delivery of high quality and competitive broadband internet services to the subscribers.

Togocel obtained its 4G license in 2016. It watched as Teolis launched its 4G internet services last month. Moov, another 4G license holder, is poised to launch 4G services almost two years after it started offering 3G services.

On 7 June 2017, the Togolese Government officially issued licenses to Teolis and the Vivendi Africa Togo Group (GVA Togo) and gave the operators nine months to deploy their infrastructure and begin marketing their offers.

ITWeb Africa reported Teolis' services are driven by FH/LTE technology and already available.