Celtiis Open Day: Media uncovers the technological backstage of the premier global operator

From the moment of arrival, the tone is set for media professionals. This is not a press conference, nor a typical communication operation. It is an invitation to journey into the heart of Celtiis Benin’s DNA, to understand what it does, how it does it, and above all why it does it.

building trust, dismantling preconceived ideas, promoting Benin’s technological sovereignty.

The first step of this dive into the Celtiis universe takes visitors to the GNOC, the National Network Operations Center. Operated in partnership with the tech giant Huawei, the GNOC is the brain of the national mobile network.

From this center, teams detect incidents, monitor equipment status in real time across the entire territory, carry out preventive and corrective maintenance, and ensure service continuity. More than 4,000 preventive actions are recorded each month.

“The GNOC is designed to ensure intelligent supervision and rapid intervention. The quality of our network depends on this operational rigor,” explains Alain Koïzon, Network and Service Platform Director at SBIN.

From the depths of the oceans to the tops of the towers

The second site visited is none other than the landing station of the ACE (Africa Coast to Europe) submarine cable in Fidjrossè. This strategic infrastructure connects Europe to West Africa and is the main internet gateway in Benin. Journalists discover the key role of this installation in the transmission of digital flows.

“Our mission here is to ensure the availability and stability of the equipment. In case of failure, the entire international connectivity is at risk.”explained Yves Bachioumba, site manager.

Detailed explanations are provided on maintenance, response times in case of incidents at sea, redundancies planned to guarantee network resilience, and especially the protection of personal data. A way to remind that behind every WhatsApp message or YouTube video lies a complex and highly technical supply chain.

Alongside the visits, enriching exchanges take place with Celtiis engineers and technical managers. In a friendly yet studious atmosphere, participants learn about cybersecurity, data management, supervision algorithms, and network expansion plans across the national territory. For Celtiis Benin, “no Beninese should be left without coverage.”

An event of education and trust

The Celtiis Open Day Media concludes with a networking dinner in a relaxed atmosphere. A way to further humanize the relationship between the operator and media professionals, often critical but now better equipped to understand the realities on the ground.

“When we entered the market, we analyzed the positioning of the different market players. We analyzed the regulations. What were the slots reserved by regulation to allow another operator to move. We analyzed customer needs and realized that Beninese people did not consume enough telecommunications. And the fundamental reason was that the price was excessively high,” recalled Omar Gueye Ndiaye, General Director of SBIN SA.

According to him, when compared with Côte d’Ivoire and Senegal, the cost per minute of communication was much higher for Beninese people.

“Moreover, people bought data just to send messages. We analyzed all these needs and concluded that Beninese people needed to call, to stay connected, and did not necessarily have the means to buy very expensive communication. The two operators on the market had a positioning that did not allow increasing traffic volume or sector activity. We positioned ourselves by offering quite aggressive voice offers, democratizing access for Beninese,” he assured.

“We know the essential role of journalists. You question, inform, alert. We opened our doors so that tomorrow you can speak knowledgeably,” declared Omar Gueye Ndiaye.

“And despite this generosity, we create value, a positive margin that allows us to continue investing. This means that it is possible, in Benin, to invest, make investments profitable, and satisfy customers’ communication needs,” he added. That is why he invites every Beninese to adopt Celtiis offers, such as Celtiis Business, Celtiis Cash, Celtiis Home, etc. 

“Today, we are a significant operator in the mobile field because we have offers favored by our clients and we provide them with excellent service quality,” reiterated Omar Gueye Ndiaye.

The General Director of Celtiis SA also invited participants to continue the dialogue beyond this event while keeping in mind SBIN SA’s ultimate goal.

That is to build a sovereign, resilient, and inclusive digital ecosystem, placing Benin among the African champions of digital transformation by 2026.

Celtiis also took advantage of this meeting to announce the imminent launch of the Celtiis Press Club, scheduled for November 2025. This new exchange platform, exclusively reserved for journalists holding the Celtiis press card, aims to strengthen ties between the operator and media professionals in Benin.

It will facilitate regular access to strategic information, encourage direct dialogue with Celtiis experts, and stimulate collaborations around common civic initiatives.