SECTOR 2 common to find a person with more than two phones. At present, Gabon has four operators already offering 3G technology. Despite its popularity and the number of operators, the cost of phone communication remains high compared to other countries in the sub region, such as Cameroon. The network also has many technical problems and there are areas without coverage. Some corners of the country are completely cut off from the network. Users are sometimes forced to climb up a hill to be able to make a call. In addition to technical problems, and the physical geography of Gabon, with mountains and forests covering up to 80% of the country does not make things any easier. Access to the Internet is aided by the penetration rate of mobile telephony and the introduction of modern technologies, such as 3G. The Ministry of Communication in 2015 enumerated 18 online newspapers. There are also a wide range of sites and blogs published outside the country but who are primarily interested in Gabonese news affairs. Access to this source of information by mobile phone is limited due to the relatively high cost of Internet services and its concentration in urban areas. For many people the Internet remains a luxury, said a panelist. Scores: Individual scores: 1 Country does not meet indicator 2 Country meets only a few aspects of indicator 3 Country meets some aspects of indicator 4 Country meets most aspects of indicator 5 Country meets all aspects of the indicator Average score: 3.7 2.2 Citizens’ access to domestic and international media sources is not restricted by state authorities. Panelists are of the general opinion that the authorities do not seek to restrict the access of citizens to national and international media. Apart from technical constraints and facts of nature, such as difficulties related to costs and the natural environment such as geography, every Gabonese is free to consume the media products of his choice. Nevertheless, in the past there have been a few incidents where one could suspect the State of attempting to interfere with the free circulation of information. This is the case of a Nigerian channel which suddenly disappeared from the airwaves a few days after a broadcast criticized the Gabonese authorities. AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER GABON 2016 79