In the past five years, mobile internet subscriptions in Congo have seen a remarkable 61% surge, rising from 2.1 million in 2019 to 3.4 million in 2023, as per the Postal and Electronic Communications Regulatory Authority (ARPCE). However, the regulatory body did not clarify if this figure represents unique subscribers or the number of SIM cards accessing the service.
During the same period, data traffic was a massive increase of 337%, surging from 15.9 billion megabytes to a staggering 69.4 billion megabytes. The rise can be attributed to the growing popularity of social media platforms for online business activities, entertainment, news dissemination, chatting with friends, participating in debates on public governance, etc. It also indicates an increase in the usage of digital services provided by the government, as well as innovative offerings by private start-ups in sectors like education, healthcare, commerce, and agriculture.
The Congolese government is committed to promoting equitable access to digital services for all citizens by 2025, in line with the national digital transformation strategy “Congo Digital 2025”, launched in August 2019. The government invests in national telecom infrastructure, including building data centres, connecting the country to a second submarine fibre optic cable, and expanding fibre optic interconnections with neighbouring countries.
Moreover, the Congolese government is collaborating with the World Bank on the Congo Digital Acceleration Project (PATN). The project aims to increase high-speed internet access for underserved populations while enhancing the government’s ability to deliver digitally adapted public services. The World Bank approved a funding of US$100 million for this project in June 2022, marking a significant step towards bridging the digital divide and propelling Congo towards its digital future.
