Gabon’s 4G reach leaves a large mobile internet usage gap

On October 28, 2026, the GSMA reported that Gabon’s 4G network covers 95% of the population, while only four in ten people use mobile internet. The release, issued in Libreville, identifies affordability and adoption, rather than radio coverage, as the central constraint.

More than half of Gabon’s residents already live within mobile broadband coverage but do not use it, according to the report, Gabon’s Digital Economy: Policy Reforms That Will Drive Gabon’s Digital Future. Only 5% of mobile connections remain 2G-only, putting most connections on newer mobile networks.

What do the reforms project?

GSMA modelling puts unique mobile internet subscribers at 1.06 million in 2026 and 1.48 million in 2031. Without reform, the model reaches 1.30 million, a difference of about 180,000 subscribers; elsewhere, the report estimates that coordinated reforms could connect around 190,000 additional people by 2031.

The report projects that the reform package would pay for itself by 2028 and produce a net gain of about XAF 63 billion in annual public revenue by 2031. These figures represent model projections rather than subscriber gains already achieved.

Can cheaper devices close the gap?

Among adults in the poorest 40% of Gabonese households, 83% own a mobile phone, but only around half own a smartphone. Smartphones carry 18% VAT, compared with 10% for laptops and desktop computers, which the GSMA says makes entry-level devices harder to afford.

The association recommends reducing VAT on a clearly defined category of entry-level smartphones and offering flexible financing. It also asks handset manufacturers, memory and chipset suppliers, mobile operators and financing partners to lower costs and widen the range of affordable handsets.

South Africa provides a policy comparison: after removing a 9% luxury excise duty on smartphones priced below R2,500, GSMA analysis estimated that about 1.1 million additional entry-level smartphones sold in the first 11 months. That estimate measures handset sales rather than the number of people who went online.

Angela Wamola, Head of Africa at the GSMA, said: “Gabon has built a strong foundation for connectivity. The next step is to make it accessible and useful to more people.” Her prescription joined device affordability to service delivery and skills.

She also said: “Affordable smartphones, practical digital skills and access to everyday public services from a phone can help more people get online. Alongside continued network investment, these changes can improve lives while strengthening the economy.” Her comments link handset costs with investment in services and skills.

Can digital services pull users online?

Gabon has already digitized customs offices and built the Digitax online tax platform. The GSMA says the next step is to make fees, health and education services, and administrative procedures accessible from a phone.

Rather than relying on network expansion alone, the model attributes the largest contribution to additional adoption to useful digital public services and digital skills. It recommends prioritizing services used by lower-income households in small and medium-sized towns, simplifying processes before moving them online, and supporting users with digital-literacy programs.

Mobile money provides another base: 62% of adults already hold a mobile money account, according to the report. The association sees this as a foundation for broader digital payments.

What changes for operators and government?

Telecom operators currently face sector-specific charges equal to 11% of gross revenue, which adds to deployment and operating costs. The GSMA recommends gradually cutting the charges to 3%, simplifying the wider fee structure and considering VAT exemptions for strategic digital infrastructure, including data centres.

The report also calls for several immediate regulatory and investment measures:

• Issue outstanding implementing decrees for electronic communications, electronic transactions and cybersecurity laws.
• Publish a spectrum roadmap and Universal Service Fund accounts.
• Address power and operating costs at rural sites, where 4G coverage reaches 70% against the 95% national level.

The association says several priority measures could start within six months without significant direct cost to the public budget. That timetable could remove policy uncertainty and create conditions for greater private investment.

Gabon is also advancing a connectivity agenda that includes 5G rollout. The report says to measure progress by both network capabilities and the breadth of practical use, rather than treating radio coverage as the sole measure of progress.

Until the reforms take effect, rural coverage remains the visible network shortfall and device affordability remains the adoption bottleneck. The next milestones are the six-month policy actions, followed by sustained network investment if the report’s 2031 subscriber and public-revenue forecasts are to materialize.