The verdict in three sentences
For an internet service provider above 50 jobs a day, phone-based scheduling becomes the main brake on growth: every day cut from connection time is a subscriber billed sooner. Field service software at FCFA 20-35 million (about EUR 30,500-53,400), delivered in 14 weeks, brings average connection lead time from 9 to 4 days and makes CPE stock reliable. Below 3,000 subscribers, a market ticketing tool is still enough.
What phone-based scheduling costs
Our reference case is a Dakar ISP, and the same constraints apply in Lagos, where traffic and patchy coverage make dispatching even harder. An ISP combining FTTH fibre and fixed wireless with 14,000 subscribers performs about 90 jobs a day: 35 installations, 45 repairs, 10 moves or equipment swaps. With an average subscription of FCFA 25,000 a month (about EUR 38), the base generates FCFA 350 million in monthly revenue. Dispatchers call technicians one by one, routes cross the city with no geographic logic (from Ngor to Rufisque, allow 1 h 30 at rush hour) and routers and ONTs leave the warehouse untracked.
| Indicator (14,000 subscribers, 90 jobs a day) | Current situation | With dedicated software |
|---|---|---|
| Average connection lead time | 9 days | 4 days |
| Jobs per technician per day | 3.2 | 4.8 |
| Repairs solved within 24 h SLA | 58% | 90% |
| Untracked CPE (routers, ONTs, antennas) | 7% of stock | under 1% |
| Customer follow-up calls to the call centre | 1,100 per week | 450 per week |
| Cancellations while waiting for connection | 6% of sales | 2% of sales |
Bringing each of 35 daily installations forward by 5 days represents about FCFA 29 million of earlier billing every month, 2026 order of magnitude.
Modules and their 2026 cost
| Module | Function | Indicative budget |
|---|---|---|
| Customer tickets | Created by call centre, WhatsApp and portal, priorities | FCFA 3,500,000 to 6,000,000 |
| Scheduling and dispatch | Routes by zone, assignment by fibre or wireless skills | FCFA 4,000,000 to 7,000,000 |
| Technician app | Geolocation, photos, customer signature, offline mode | FCFA 4,500,000 to 8,000,000 |
| CPE stock | Serial numbers, assignment per technician, returns | FCFA 3,000,000 to 5,000,000 |
| SLAs and alerts | Counters, escalation, reports by zone | FCFA 2,500,000 to 4,500,000 |
| Integrations | Billing, network monitoring, SMS | FCFA 2,500,000 to 4,500,000 |
| Total | ISP with 5,000 to 30,000 subscribers | FCFA 20,000,000 to 35,000,000 |
Running costs (hosting, SMS, maintenance) are FCFA 350,000 to 700,000 a month. Offline mode in the technician app is essential: in outlying areas, 4G often drops in stairwells and equipment rooms.
Custom build or international field service software
| Criterion | International software (licences) | Custom software |
|---|---|---|
| Annual cost for 60 users | FCFA 25,000,000 to 45,000,000 | FCFA 4,200,000 to 8,400,000 |
| Initial investment | FCFA 5,000,000 to 10,000,000 integration | FCFA 20,000,000 to 35,000,000 |
| Cost over 3 years | FCFA 80,000,000 to 145,000,000 | FCFA 33,000,000 to 60,000,000 |
| Fine-grained fibre and wireless handling | heavy configuration | native |
| Mobile money payment at the job | rare | built in |
| Local-language SMS | partial | complete |
| Compliance with local data protection law | to be checked | designed in from the start |
Large international suites are powerful but billed in dollars per user: across 60 technicians and dispatchers, the licence quickly exceeds the cost of a local build.
Mini case study
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Mr Ndiaye, operations director of a 14,000-subscriber ISP in Dakar, performs 35 installations a day at FCFA 25,000 a month. Saving 5 days on each installation brings forward about FCFA 4,200 of billing per subscriber, or FCFA 3.7 million a month across 875 monthly installations. Cutting pre-connection cancellations from 6% to 2% keeps 35 subscribers a month, adding FCFA 875,000 of monthly revenue that keeps accumulating. With a FCFA 28 million project, payback comes in 6 to 7 months, before counting recovered CPE.
FAQ
How much does ISP field service software cost in 2026?
Allow FCFA 20 to 35 million (about EUR 30,500-53,400) for a full scope (tickets, scheduling, technician app, stock, SLAs), plus FCFA 350,000 to 700,000 a month to run. Delivery takes about 14 weeks.
Does the app work without network coverage?
Yes, technicians view work orders and capture photos and signatures offline, and everything syncs once coverage returns. The app runs on entry-level Android smartphones from about FCFA 80,000.
Can installation fees be collected on site?
Yes, the technician generates a mobile money payment link or QR code (Wave or Orange Money in Senegal, local wallets in Nigeria), and the payment is attached to the ticket. Wave merchant fees stay around 1%.
How does the software track equipment at customer premises?
Every router, ONT or antenna is recorded by serial number, assigned to a technician, then to the customer. On cancellation, the software automatically creates a recovery order, bringing losses below 1% of stock.
Does the software meet regulator reporting requirements?
It produces quality of service indicators (connection lead times, fault resolution rates) in the format your regulator expects, ARTP in Senegal or NCC in Nigeria. Customer data is processed under local data protection law, Law 2008-12 in Senegal or the NDPA in Nigeria.
Let's scope your project. For an ISP with 5,000 to 30,000 subscribers, we price the tickets, scheduling, technician app, CPE stock and SLA modules, with an indicative budget of FCFA 20 to 35 million and delivery in 14 weeks. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
