GSMA Urges Gabon to Cut Smartphone Costs and Expand Digital Access

More than half of Gabon’s population lives within mobile broadband coverage but does not use mobile internet, limiting opportunities to learn, earn and access essential services. A new GSMA  report published calls for more affordable smartphones, expanded digital government services and continued network investment to close this gap.

The report Gabon’s Digital Economy: Policy Reforms That Will Drive Gabon’s Digital Future, recognises the country’s strong progress. Four in ten people now use mobile internet, 4G covers 95% of the population, and just 5% of mobile connections remain 2G-only. These achievements provide a strong foundation for wider digital participation.

GSMA estimates that coordinated reforms to telecommunications taxation, smartphone affordability, network investment and digital services could connect around 190,000 additional people to mobile internet by 2031. The report projects that the reforms would pay for themselves by 2028 and deliver a net gain of around XAF 63 billion in annual public revenues by 2031.

The reforms could increase unique mobile internet subscribers from 1.06 million in 2026 to 1.48 million by 2031, compared with 1.30 million without reform.

Making digital participation more affordable

Among adults in the poorest 40% of Gabonese households, 83% own a mobile phone, but only around half own a smartphone. Smartphones attract 18% VAT, compared with 10% for laptops and desktop computers. The GSMA recommends reduced VAT on a clearly defined category of entry-level smartphones, alongside flexible financing. South Africa offers evidence of the potential impact. Following the removal of its 9% luxury excise duty on smartphones priced below R2,500, GSMA analysis estimates that approximately 1.1 million additional entry-level smartphones were sold in the first 11 months.

Alongside government reforms, the GSMA is calling on handset manufacturers, memory and chipset suppliers, mobile operators and financing partners to reduce costs and expand the availability of entry-level smartphones.

“Gabon has built a strong foundation for connectivity. The next step is to make it accessible and useful to more people. 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.”

– Angela Wamola, Head of Africa, GSMA

Bringing everyday public services within reach

Gabon has laid foundations for digital government through the digitalisation of customs offices and the Digitax online tax platform. Building on this progress can make it easier to pay fees, access health and education services or complete administrative procedures from a phone.

Measures that increase demand, including useful digital public services and digital skills, make the largest contribution to additional adoption in the report’s modelling. The GSMA recommends prioritising services used by lower-income households in small and medium-sized towns, simplifying processes before moving them online and supporting users with digital literacy programmes.

With 62% of adults holding a mobile money account, Gabon also has a foundation for expanding everyday digital payments.

Supporting investment and implementation

Telecommunications operators currently face sector-specific charges equivalent to 11% of gross revenue, adding to the cost of network deployment and operations. The GSMA recommends gradually reducing these charges to 3%, simplifying the wider fee regime and considering VAT exemptions for strategic digital infrastructure, including data centres.

It also calls for outstanding implementing decrees for electronic communications, electronic transactions and cybersecurity laws; publication of a spectrum roadmap and Universal Service Fund accounts; and action on power and operating costs for rural sites. Rural 4G coverage stands at 70%, highlighting the continuing need for investment.

Several priority measures could be implemented within six months without significant direct costs to the public budget, helping create the conditions for greater private investment and wider digital participation.

As Gabon advances its connectivity agenda, including the rollout of 5G, progress should be measured both by network capabilities and by how widely people can use them to improve their lives and livelihoods.