Completed Mixed AidData Chinese Aid

China Eximbank provides $214 million preferential buyer’s credit for Fiber Optic Cable Network Project

$214.2M USD

Funder	Export-Import Bank of China (China Eximbank)
Recipient Organization	Government of Guinea
Country	Guinea
Start Date	Jan 01, 2014
End Date	May 13, 2026
Duration	4,515 days
Number of Grantees	1
Roles	Recipient
Data Source	AidData Chinese Aid
Grant ID	`52224`

Grant Description

China Eximbank provides $214 million preferential buyer’s credit for Fiber Optic Cable Network Project In 2014, the Export-Import Bank of China and the Government of Guinea signed a $214.2 million preferential buyer’s credit (PBC) loan for the Fiber Optic Cable Network Project. The PBC financed 90% of the $238 million total cost of the project.

📋 Loan / Grant Terms

💰 Loan Amountcarries the following borrowing terms: a 20-year maturity

📅 Maturity20 years

⏳ Grace Period9 years

💹 Interest Rate2%

The Government of Guinea used the proceeds from the PBC to on-lend to a project company and special purpose vehicle (SPV) called Société de Gestion et d'Exploitation du Backbone National (SOGEB).

The loan's principal amount outstanding was $172.09 million as of March 31, 2020, $172.09 million as of June 30, 2020, $214 million as of December 31, 2020, $214 million as of June 30, 2022, and $214 million as of September 30, 2022.

The project involved the construction of a 4352 km fiber optic cable network as well as data centers and network monitoring centers.

The fiber optic cable network consisted of 14 major sections: Kankan-Nzérékoré, Kankan-Mandiana, Kouroussa-Siguiri-Kourémalé, Faranah-Kissidougou-Ouamou, Guéckedou-Bofossou-Macenta, Coyah-Forécariah-Farmoreyah, Boké-Gaoual-Koundara, Conakry-Boké, Conakry-Mamou, Mamou-Labé, Mamou-Kankan, Mamou-Faranah, Kolaboui-Kamsar and Tanéné-Fria.

Huawei was the contractor responsible for implementation. A formal project commencement ceremony took place on December 22, 2014. However, construction did not begin until July 25, 2015. This project was completed on or around April 28, 2020.

📋 Staff Comments

The Chinese project title is 国家光缆骨干网项目 or 的几内亚国家光缆骨干网项目 or 4000公里全国光纤骨干网 or 全国光纤骨干网. The French project title is Le Réseau Backbone National or Backbone National Project or Construction du Backbone National à Fibre Optique or La Fibre Optique du Backbone National.
Some sources indicate that the project involved the construction of a 4352 km fiber optic cable network, while others indicate that it involved the construction of a 3,987-fiber optic cable network.
The loan's amounts outstanding are drawn from various editions of the MEF's Bulletin Statistique de la Dette Publique. See https://www.mef.gov.gn/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Bulletin-statistiques-T3-2022-1.pdf and https://www.stat-guinee.org/images/Documents/Publications/SSN/mef/Bulletin/BULLETIN--STATISTIQUE-DEUXIEME-TRIMESTRE-2020.pdf and https://www.stat-guinee.org/images/Documents/Publications/SSN/mef/Bulletin/BULLETIN-PREMIER-TRIMESTRE-2020-1-1.pdf4. The loan's borrowing terms are drawn from the World Bank's International Debt Statistics (IDS). See https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/z79xr3w040d2zufaw0eow/October-2024-Extract-from-IDS-on-Guinea-s-Borrowings-and-Borrowing-Terms-from-Official-PRC-Creditors.xlsx?rlkey=axiwonwbe90ne6avkoxynkzxf&dl=0

📚 Sources & References

New cable network to help Guinea join digital world: president
Huawei begins work on US$238m fibre-optic network
Huawei plans to complete Guinea's $238M fiber optic network in 2017
华为公司助推几内亚电信行业实现跨越性发展
几内亚总统孔戴出席骨干网项目动工仪式
进出口银行融资支持的几内亚国家光缆骨干网项目完工, construction du backbone national a fibre optique
Présentation Sectorielle : Télécommunications
几内亚国家光纤骨干网络完工全国光纤网络总长度达4352公里
Guinée : Mise en service partielle du Backbone National à Fibre Optique
Capture-d’écran-2020-08-07-à-12.50.26-1068x775
INFRASTRUCTURES INTERURBAINES
Guinée : Huawei lance les travaux de construction de la large bande numérique
几内亚计划启动西非区域光纤骨干网互联互通项目
Guinée: Lancement du grand chantier de la fibre optique
进出口银行融资支持的几内亚国家光缆骨干网项目完工
驻几内亚大使卞建强陪同孔戴总统出席几国家光缆骨干网项目动工仪式
进出口银行融资支持的中几最大电信类项目顺利完工
En Guinée, le pari incertain d’une fibre optique publique
TRADE POLICY REVIEW REPORT BY GUINEA
助力西非电信网络互联互通——进出口银行融资支持的几内亚国家光缆骨干网项目完工
MINISTERE DES POSTES
DES TELECOMMUNICATIONS ET DE L’ECONOMIE NUMERIQUE
Question 2/1: Rapport Final UIT-D Commission d’Études 1 Technologies d’accès large bande, y compris les IMT, pour les pays en développement
République de Guinée : diagnostic et préparation d’une stratégie nationale d’inclusion financière
Présentation Sectorielle : Télécommunications
Construction du Backbone National à Fibre Optique, 4me-trimestre-BULLETIN-STATISTIQUE-VF-T4-2019-vf-16-juin-2020.pdf
RAPPORT FINANCIER DES ENTREPRISES EN PORTEFEUILLE
Construction du Backbone National à Fibre Optique - MPTEN
Debtor Reporting System (DRS)
BULLETIN STATISTIQUE DE LA DETTE PUBLIQUE
BULLETIN STATISTIQUE DE LA DETTE PUBLIQUE Quatrième Trimestre 2020
BULLETIN STATISTIQUE DE LA DETTE PUBLIQUE Troisième Trimestre 2022
October 2024 Extract from IDS on Guinea's Borrowings and Borrowing Terms from Official PRC Creditors Loan applications and disbursements are still being received and processed as the projects continue to evolve. Ongoing monitoring and evaluation are in place to ensure project continuity.