Nigerian internet service provider Tizeti has entered into a partnership with Microsoft to expand its broadband solution to Cote d'Ivoire. This collaboration marks Tizeti's second international partnership, following its collaboration with Eutelsat to enhance broadband penetration. Cote d'Ivoire will become the third country where Tizeti operates, joining Ghana and Nigeria, and the company has plans to further expand to Togo.

The partnership aims to address the significant broadband gap in Cote d'Ivoire and provide internet access to nearly five million people. At the beginning of 2023, the country had an internet penetration rate of 45.4% with 12.94 million internet users. The average price of 1GB of data in Cote d'Ivoire is $3.06, making it the 173rd most expensive country for internet access. Tizeti's CEO, Kendall Ananyi, highlighted that the company utilizes solar-powered towers, which contribute to 30% to 50% cost savings on data cap plans in Ghana and Nigeria.

Ananyi expressed enthusiasm about the partnership with Microsoft, emphasizing Tizeti's commitment to providing reliable and affordable high-speed internet access to underserved communities in Cote d'Ivoire. Tizeti plans to leverage its low-cost wireless technologies in collaboration with Microsoft's Airband Initiative, which aims to promote digital equity by enhancing access to affordable internet, devices, and digital skills worldwide.

Tizeti has achieved profitability in three out of the last four years and generated over ₦11 billion in revenue as of August 2022. Ananyi noted the company's growth and expansion, with over 3,884 hotspot locations, the construction of one tower per month, and 2.8 million users in Nigeria. Tizeti currently delivers over 190 TBPS (terabits per second) of data daily, accounting for approximately 20% of the data traffic of Airtel, the second-largest telecommunications company in Nigeria with coverage in 36 states.

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