Photo: Erik Cleves Kristensen/Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0
Côte d’Ivoire’s radio-frequency regulator says the number of stations authorised each year has risen sharply as the country expands telecommunications infrastructure and prepares for wider fifth-generation mobile services.
The Ivorian Agency for Radio Frequency Management, known by its French acronym AIGF, presented new figures at a government information briefing in Abidjan on 29 September. According to the agency, the number of authorised radio-frequency stations increased from 562 in 2022 to more than 2,000 in 2025, while the number of sites rose from 321 to nearly 700 over the same period.
Radio spectrum underpins mobile phone calls, broadcasting, wireless internet, maritime and aviation communications and a range of public services. Because different users share a finite range of frequencies, regulators have to plan allocations, inspect equipment and respond to interference.
More monitoring as connectivity grows
AIGF said it inspected more than 1,500 sites during 2025 and handled 54 interference cases. The regulator also inspected 154 ships and offshore platforms and notified almost 770 frequency assignments to the International Telecommunication Union.
Public exposure to non-ionising radio-frequency emissions is another part of its mandate. The agency said more than 3,400 measurement points were assessed across around 50 localities in 2025 under Côte d’Ivoire’s regulatory framework.
The figures arrive as the country moves further into the next phase of mobile connectivity. The Ivorian government says deployment of 5G was formally authorised on 10 September 2026, following earlier work by AIGF to make suitable frequency bands available to operators.
Low-earth-orbit satellite systems are also creating new regulatory questions as more connectivity is delivered through space-based networks. That means spectrum authorities increasingly have to manage terrestrial mobile services, broadcasters, maritime and aviation users and emerging satellite operators within the same national framework.
Digital infrastructure and African development
Côte d’Ivoire’s expansion reflects a wider African push to improve digital infrastructure and make reliable connectivity available to businesses, public services and households. DGBN has previously reported on calls for African governments to increase investment in digital infrastructure, new 4G and 5G network technology being tested in South Africa, and the continent’s leadership in mobile financial services.
The next challenge for Côte d’Ivoire will be translating additional infrastructure and spectrum capacity into affordable, reliable service across urban and rural communities while maintaining technical standards and effective oversight.