The World Bank Report No: ISR14084 Implementation Status & Results Africa Central African Backbone - APL4 - Gabon (P122776) Public Disclosure Copy Operation Name: Central African Backbone - APL4 - Gabon (P122776) Project Stage: Implementation Seq.No: 5 Status: ARCHIVED Archive Date: 05-Apr-2014 Country: Africa Approval FY: 2012 Product Line: IBRD/IDA Region: AFRICA Lending Instrument: Adaptable Program Loan Implementing Agency(ies): Key Dates Board Approval Date 28-Mar-2012 Original Closing Date 31-Dec-2016 Planned Mid Term Review Date 31-Oct-2014 Last Archived ISR Date 23-Nov-2013 Effectiveness Date 06-Mar-2013 Revised Closing Date 31-Dec-2016 Actual Mid Term Review Date Project Development Objectives Project Development Objective (from Project Appraisal Document) The development objective of the project is consistent with the PDO for the CAB Program: To contribute to increasegeographical reach and usage of regional broadband network services and reduce their prices in the territory of the Republic ofGabon. Has the Project Development Objective been changed since Board Approval of the Project? Yes No Component(s) Component Name Component Cost Component 1 - Enabling environment 6.07 Component 2 - Connectivity 47.00 Component 3 - Project Management 2.93 Overall Ratings Previous Rating Current Rating Public Disclosure Copy Progress towards achievement of PDO Moderately Satisfactory Moderately Satisfactory Overall Implementation Progress (IP) Moderately Unsatisfactory Moderately Unsatisfactory Overall Risk Rating Substantial Substantial Implementation Status Overview This ISR is based on the conclusions of a Bank supervision mission February 15 - 26, 2014, to follow up on the action plan discussed and agreed with the Gabonese counterparts during the March, June and October 2013 supervision missions. Significant progress was made on (i) the bidding process for the National Backbone (passive infrastructure) (due date for bid submission is May 16, 2014) ; (ii) the bidding process for the selection of the private wholesale operator (no objection on short list given on December 9, 2013 ; technical comments on bidding documents provided on February 26, 2014 ; Page 1 of 6 The World Bank Report No: ISR14084 bidding documents expected to be send to short list March 31, 2014) ; (iii) the safeguards documents for the national backbone, which have been published in country and on Infoshop on November 5, 2013 ; and (iii) the technical experimentation to test the technical chain ahead of the selection of the operators, with one operator having signed the test agreement and installed its equipments. Following the first workshop on the CAB4(Gabon)-CAB3(Congo) cross border fiber interconnection that took place in Libreville on October 7 and 8, 2013 between Gabonese and Congolese stakeholders, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed on February 6, 2014 in Brazzaville as expected. The bidding documents Public Disclosure Copy for the backbone works under CAB4 and under CAB3 have been made consistent with each other ; this will ensure that the fibers to be built in Gabon and in Congo will effectively connect in Lekoko (border Gabon-Congo). Activities pertaining to the set up of the Special Purpose Vehicle Company (Société de Patrimoine des Infrastructures Numériques - SPIN) have also progressed significantly with (i) a first board meeting on November 15, 2014. (ii) funding for operating costs of SPIN made available in the Finance Law 2014 ; and (ii) the transmission on March 3, 2014 to the Secretary General of Government of the proposed backbone agreement to be signed between the Government of Gabon and the SPIN (disbursement condition). Activities pertaining to the set up of the ACE subsidiary will be completed once the bidding process for the selection of the private wholesale operator are completed (August 31, 2014). The Bank has revised with Gabonese counterparts the action plan towards completion of the disbursement conditions for the connectivity component (International connectivity ACE, National Backbone). However little process was made since the October 2013 mission on making available the remainder of the counterpart funding 2013 (XAF 37,392,773 still missing out of the XAF 302,392,773) and the entirety of counterpart funding for 2012 (XAF 235 694 379) : payments are now expected before April 15, 2014. The Government of Gabon has confirmed in addition that the full amount of counterpart funding for 2014 (XAF 302 392 773) as well as the provisions for safeguards implementation (XAF 202 000 000) are included in the Finance Law 2014. The Government has been reminded that the Resettlement Plan must be implemented before the start of National Backbone works. Locations Country First Administrative Division Location Planned Actual Gabon Province du Moyen-Ogooue Ndjole ✔ Gabon Province de l' Estuaire Libreville ✔ Gabon Province du Haut-Ogooue Lekoni ✔ Gabon Province de l' Ogooue-Lolo Koulamoutou ✔ Gabon Province du Haut-Ogooue Province du Haut-Ogooue ✔ Gabon Province du Haut-Ogooue Franceville ✔ Gabon Province de l' Ogooue-Ivindo Booue ✔ Public Disclosure Copy Results Project Development Objective Indicators Page 2 of 6 The World Bank Report No: ISR14084 Indicator Name Core Unit of Measure Baseline Current End Target International Internet Bandwidth (Bits per Number Value 4620.00 4140.00 14712.00 second per person) Date 31-Dec-2010 31-Dec-2013 31-Dec-2016 Public Disclosure Copy Comments Previous value should have been: 4538 New international capacity on ACE is not commercialized because the private wholesale operator is not yet selected. This impacts negatively the quality of service (less international bandwidth per person) Access to Internet Services (number of Number Value 14.00 38.00 18.00 subscribers per 100 people) Date 31-Dec-2010 31-Dec-2013 31-Dec-2016 Comments Strong appetite from Gabonese customers for Internet Services is confirmed ahead of launch 3G services (licenses awarded so far to Airtel and Gabon Telecom). Access to Telephone Services (fixed mainlines Number Value 147.00 181.00 125.00 plus cellular phones per 100 people) Date 31-Dec-2010 31-Dec-2013 31-Dec-2016 Comments Assuming total population of Gabonese operators have not This End Target value is approx. 1,545,255 and an yet started to "clean up" their consistent with a value of 120 annual growth rate of 2% database to exclude non forecasted in the PAD as of (source: CIA World active customers. 31-Dec-2012. This 120 value Factbook). The percentage of was based on the expectation multiple SIM holders is at that Gabonese operators least 25% (estimate 2008, would have done the “clean with 3 operators in the up” their database to exclude market) and is probably closer non active customers and that Public Disclosure Copy to 35% in 2010, which all SIM card owners will have corresponds to a real to be registered. Both penetration of 109%: the operations are associated market for telephone services with a sharp decrease in the in Gabon is reaching number of mobile saturation. subscriptions. The “clean up” has not yet taken place. Page 3 of 6 The World Bank Report No: ISR14084 Average monthly price of wholesale Number Value 10500.00 5600.00 500.00 international E1 capacity link from capital city to Date 31-Dec-2010 31-Dec-2013 31-Dec-2016 Europe (US$/ month/2Mbps) Comments Based only on SAT3 as ACE Public Disclosure Copy not yet commercialized. Direct project beneficiaries Number Value 1545255.00 1639837.00 1740208.00 Date 31-Dec-2010 31-Dec-2013 31-Dec-2016 Comments Female beneficiaries Percentage Value 51.00 51.00 51.00 Sub Type Supplemental Intermediate Results Indicators Indicator Name Core Unit of Measure Baseline Current End Target Impact on Telecom sector of World Bank Number Value 0.00 0.00 4.00 Technical Assistance (composite score: 1- low Date 31-Dec-2010 31-Dec-2013 31-Dec-2016 impact to 5-high impact) Comments Average cost of mobile call (three minutes, Number Value 0.71 0.63 0.20 local, peak) (US$/3 min) Date 31-Dec-2010 31-Dec-2013 31-Dec-2016 Comments Retail Price of Internet Services (per Mbit/s per Amount(USD) Value 218.00 139.00 80.00 Month, in US$) Date 31-Dec-2010 31-Dec-2013 31-Dec-2016 Comments Previous value is for 12/31/2012 Number of operators and ISPs buying capacity Number Value 0.00 0.00 6.00 from the regional infrastructure deployed Date 31-Dec-2010 31-Dec-2013 31-Dec-2016 Comments Commercialization on the ACE connectivity not yet Public Disclosure Copy started. Technical experimentations have started to enable operators and ISPs in Gabon to test the technical chain ahead of the selection of the wholesale operator. International Communications (Internet, Number Value 1.20 6.30 4.90 Telecoms and Data) bandwidth (Gbit/s) Date 31-Dec-2010 31-Dec-2013 Comments SAT3 has been upgraded to 2.5 Gbit/s Page 4 of 6 The World Bank Report No: ISR14084 Length of Fiber Optic Network Built (km) Kilometers Value 0.00 0.00 1140.00 Date 31-Dec-2010 31-Dec-2013 31-Dec-2016 Comments The infrastructure does not Public Disclosure Copy yet exist. Increased access to ICT services: Number of Number Value 3.00 11.00 10.00 localities with broadband Internet access Date 31-Dec-2010 31-Dec-2013 31-Dec-2016 (256Kbps) Comments ADSL in Libreville, Port- Gentil, Gamba, Lambaréné, Mouila, Tchibanga, Makokou, Franceville, Moanda, Oyem, Bitam. 3G services not yet launched Data on Financial Performance (as of 12-Feb-2014) Financial Agreement(s) Key Dates Project Ln/Cr/Tf Status Approval Date Signing Date Effectiveness Date Original Closing Date Revised Closing Date P122776 IBRD-81500 Effective 28-Mar-2012 21-May-2012 06-Mar-2013 31-Dec-2016 31-Dec-2016 Disbursements (in Millions) Project Ln/Cr/Tf Status Currency Original Revised Cancelled Disbursed Undisbursed % Disbursed P122776 IBRD-81500 Effective USD 58.00 58.00 0.00 4.88 53.12 8.00 Disbursement Graph Public Disclosure Copy Page 5 of 6 The World Bank Report No: ISR14084 Public Disclosure Copy Key Decisions Regarding Implementation The Bank has reminded the Government of Gabon of the need (i) to make available before April 15, 2014 the counterpart funding due for 2012 as well as the remainder of the counterpart funding due for 2013 ; (ii) to send the bidding documents for the selection of the private operators to the short list before March 31, 2014 and (iii) to sign the agreement between the Republic of Gabon and the SPIN as set forth in the Loan Agreement before April 30, 2014. The next supervision mission is scheduled in May 2014. Restructuring History There has been no restructuring to date. Related Projects There are no related projects. Public Disclosure Copy Page 6 of 6