The Republic of Congo is set to connect to a new undersea cable in response to recent disruptions affecting internet access caused by faults in the West Africa Cable System (WACS). Technical studies for this initiative commenced late last week and are expected to conclude within two weeks.
Benjamin Mouandza, the director of networks and electronic communications services at the Posts and Electronic Communications Regulatory Authority (ARPCE), indicated that if the project proceeds as planned, the new link could be operational within three weeks. However, no specific details regarding the project’s cost or technical specifications were disclosed. Mouandza expressed hope that the upcoming “Dow Africa” cable, which has faced construction delays, would enhance national connectivity once it becomes operational.
This response comes as the quality of internet service in the country has significantly declined. Congolese users have experienced frequent outages and slow connection speeds for weeks due to issues with the WACS undersea cable. The ministry identified WACS as one of Africa’s primary undersea fibre optic networks.
Since 2012, Congo has depended on WACS for international internet connectivity. In August 2023, it also connected to the 2Africa cable, which Meta sponsors, though it has yet to be fully operational in the country. In contrast, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which is also linked to 2Africa in 2023, the cable only became operational in December 2025.
Authorities have indicated that the new connection will enable service providers to enhance both the quality and availability of internet services, especially as digitalisation continues to grow. Official estimates suggest that over 3.5 million people in Congo access the internet daily, out of a total population of nearly 6 million.
Telecommunications Minister Leon Juste Ibombo has instructed operators to immediately strengthen their resilience measures. This includes activating backup routes, despite the associated costs. He has also emphasised the importance of collaborating with neighbouring countries to diversify connectivity sources and called for comprehensive technical plans to permanently resolve the issues affecting the WACS cable.
