Congo, Democratic Republic - TelecommunicationsCongo (DR) - Telecommunications
Overview
The DRC is an untapped market with great potential for mobile telephony; Internet services providers, and other Internet Communication Technology (ICT) firms. Mobile telephony has a 44 percent penetration rate; Internet penetration is approximately 3 percent of the total population. Hampered by poor physical infrastructure, particularly last mile infrastructure, mobile telephony has grown to fill the role traditionally filled by land based telecommunications firms. Less than one (1) percent of Internet connections in the country are land line connections, making the country’s mobile telephone operators de facto Internet service providers for private and commercial uses.Progress made in the ICT sector is constrained by the GDRC’s poor grasp of ICT issues at high echelons of government. In January 2015, the GDRC ordered a shutdown of the Internet in response to anti-government protests. In May 2016, the GDRC raised taxes on mobile communications companies from two (2) percent of revenues to three (3) percent. This, combined with other regulatory costs, prompted telecommunications companies to raise Internet prices, putting connectivity further out of reach for many Congolese.
Leading Sub-Sectors
- Internet distribution
- Mobile applications
- Telecom equipment supply
- Telecom software and new technology
- Cybersecurity
- Data centers & data management