Telecommunications in DRC is under the Ministère des Postes, Télécommunications et Nouvelles Technologies de l’Information et de la Communication (PTNTIC) and managed through four structures :
-
The Société congolaise de fibre optique (SOCOF) created in 2016 and oversees the construction, management, operation and maintenance of the fiber optic infrastructure.
-
The Autorité de Régulation de la Poste et des Telecommunication du Congo (ARPTC), an independent administrative authority created in 2002 with the key role of ensuring compliance with laws, regulations and conventions in the telecommunications sector.
-
The Réseau National de Télécommunications par Satellite (RENATELSAT) was created in 1996 and oversees the management and maintenance of the domestic satellite telecommunications network.
-
The Société Congolaise des Postes et Télécommunications (SCPT) was created in 2008 and is responsible for the postal service.
For more information on telecoms contacts, please see the following link: 4.11 Additional Services Contact List.
|
Telephone Services |
|
|---|---|
|
Is there an existing landline telephone network? |
Yes |
|
Does it allow international calls? |
Yes |
|
Number and Length of Downtime Periods (on average) |
n/a |
|
Mobile Phone Providers |
Vodacom, Airtel, Orange, Africell |
|
Approximate Percentage of National Coverage |
47,1 % in 2021 (source ARPTC) |
Telecommunication Regulations
ARPTC is the regulatory authority in charge of managing, delivering authorizations and to control the frequencies. Explanations and procedures are available here for VHF-HF frequencies and here for VSAT.
|
Regulations on Usage and Import |
Regulations in Place? |
Regulating Authority |
|---|---|---|
|
Satellite |
Yes |
ARPTC |
|
HF Radio |
Yes |
ARPTC |
|
UHF/VHF/HF radio: handheld, base and mobile |
Yes |
ARPTC |
|
UHF/VHF repeaters |
Yes |
ARPTC |
|
GPS |
n/a |
n/a |
|
VSAT |
Yes |
ARPTC |
| Individual Network Operator Licenses Required | Yes | |
| Frequency Licenses Required | Yes |
| VSAT Providers |
|---|
|
AFRICAN DIGITAL NETWORK |
|
COMPASS GREEN WORLDWIDE SARL |
|
CYBERNET SPRL |
|
KONNECT AFRICA SARLU |
|
RAGASAT SARL |
|
SONEMA SAM MONACO SA |
|
VODACOM CONGO RDC S. A |
Existing Humanitarian Telecoms Systems
The United Nations agencies have a national telecom system under the same umbrella and managed by UNDSS (United Nations Department of Safety and Security). A common radio room is operating 24/7 from Kinshasa.
|
|
UN Agencies |
|---|---|
|
VHF Frequencies |
Yes |
|
HF Frequencies |
Yes |
|
Locations of Repeaters |
Yes |
|
VSAT |
Yes |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)
In 2019, the DRC government launched the Plan National du Numérique “Horizon 2025” (Cabinet du Numérique) to reduce the digital divide with the aim of boosting economic growth and industrialization, reducing poverty and improving people's lives.
The country records an internet penetration rate of 17,6% of the global population in 2021 (Source ARPTC) which represents barely 12 to 15% of Congolese connected to internet.
|
Internet Service Providers |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Are there ISPs available? |
Yes AFRICAN DIGITAL NETWORK SARLU AFRICELL RDC S.A AFRINET SARL AIRTEL CONGO RDC S.A AJYWA TELECOM AROP CONGO TELECOM SARL AT HOLDINGS CASTOR NETWORKS RDC SARL CITRACO SPRL /TELESOL COMTECH SARL CONGO BROADBAND NETWORK CONNECTIS SARL DHI TELECOM DRC ELITE NETWORK SARL FAST NET SARLU GLOBAL BROADBAND SOLUTION GROUPE TELECOM (GTL) SARL IBURST AFRICA INTERNATIONAL SYSTEMS SARL KINSHASA WIRELESS SARL KIWI MICROCOM SARL OLIVER SOFT SARL ORANGE RDC S.A ORIONCOM SARL RAGA NET SARL TECH PLUS SARL UNLIMITED SARLU VODACOM CONGO RDC S. A AIRTEL CONGO RDC S.A BANDWITH AND CLOUD SERVICES DR ELIM SOLUTIONS SARL GLOBAL BROADBAND SOLUTION GROUPE VIVENDI AFRICA (GVA) RD LIQUID TELECOM DRC SARL MICROCOM SARL RAGA NET SARL SOCIETE CONGOLAISE DE LA FIBRE, SOCOF STANDARD TELECOM UNITED SA VODACOM CONGO RDC S. A |
|
|
If yes, are they privately or government owned? |
Private |
|
|
Dial-up only? |
No, Broadband and fiber optic are available in country |
|
|
Approximate Rates (local currency and USD - $) |
Broadband |
Depends on the subscription plan |
|
Fiber optic |
Depends on the subscription plan (starting from 49USD/month with 20 Mbps) |
|
|
Max Leasable ‘Dedicated’ Bandwidth |
Not applicable |
|
Mobile Network Operators (MNOs)
The cell phone is currently one of the main means of communication. In 2022, four MNOs (Vodacom, Orange, Airtel, Africell) are operating in DRC with valid licenses until 2038-2039. The mobile networks only covers the main cities (e.g. Kinshasa, Matadi, Goma, Lubumbashi, Kananga, Bunia, Kalemie ) and many vast parts of the territory have no signal as are generally considered unprofitable spaces.
Source: GSMA
For information on MNOs please visit the GSM Association website.
Mobile money solutions are rapidly growing over the last decade as getting cash to and from the bank is a severe problem, especially in the provinces where the security situation is volatile. During the last quarter 2021, the mobile money turnover realized by the four operators reached 53,312,934 USD (Source ARPTC).
|
Company |
Number of Agent Outlets by Area |
Network Strength by Area |
Contracted for Humanitarian or Government Cash Transfer Programmes? |
Services Offered (i.e. Merchant Payment, Bulk Disbursement, Receive & Make Payment) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
VODACOM |
60 across the country (locator here) |
Info per location here |
Yes |
Merchant Payment, Money Transfer, Receive & Make Payment |
|
AIRTEL Money |
41 across the country (locator here) |
Info per location here |
||
|
ORANGE Money |
40 across the country (locator here) |
n/a |
||
|
AFRICELL |
30 across the country (locator here) |
n/a |
Disclaimer: Inclusion of company information in the LCA does not imply any business relationship between the supplier and WFP / Logistics Cluster, and is used solely as a determinant of services, and capacities.
Please note: WFP / Logistics Cluster maintain complete impartiality and are not in a position to endorse, comment on any company's suitability as a reputable service provider.
