TeleGeography

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Congo, Rep.
Summary Data

Total mobile subscriptions (Jun 2022): 5,575,850

Population penetration: 93.4%
Average penetration in region: 89.2%
Average penetration in GDP per cap decile: 86.6%
Total fixed broadband subscriptions (Jun 2022): 33,800
Household penetration: 2.5%
Average penetration in region: 9.4%
Average penetration in GDP per cap decile: 8.0%
Total PSTN+VoIP (2021): 17,715
Household penetration: 1.3%
Average penetration in region: 9.2%
Average penetration in GDP per cap decile: 7.0%

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Country Overview
Key Data
Area (sq km): 342,000

Population 2021 (million): 5.9

Households 2021 (million): 1.4

Capital: Brazzaville

Language: French (official), Kongo, Lingala, others

Exchange rate annual average (2021): USD 1 = XAF 554.93

GDP 2021 (USD billion): 12.8

GDP per capita 2021 (USD thousand): 2.2

Sources: African Development Bank Group, CIA World Factbook, IMF, Reuters Foundation, US
Department of State, World Bank

Map

Political Profile
The Republic of the Congo – also referred to as Congo-Brazzaville to differentiate it from its larger
neighbour, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) – gained independence in 1960 when Father
Fulbert Youlou, a pro-West Catholic priest, took office as president. With Youlou resigning in
the wake of a general strike in 1963, that same year saw the formation of the Marxist National
Revolutionary Movement (NRM) party, following which Congo embarked upon a quarter-century
experimentation with Marxism, before finally abandoning it in 1991.

Having served as president for three terms between 1979 and 1991, Colonel Denis Sassou-Nguesso
of the Congolese Party of Labor (Parti Congolais du Travail, PCT) set about loosening ties with the

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Soviet bloc in favour of closer links with the West. Sassou’s defeat by Pascal Lissouba in democratic
elections conducted in 1992 led to more civil strife though, and a disputed parliamentary poll in 1993
sparked bloody clashes and the loss of 2,000 lives. With a presidential ballot scheduled for July 1997,
ethnic and political tensions finally boiled over into full-scale civil war that month, fuelled in part by
the prize of Congo’s offshore oil wealth. A damaging four-month conflict decimated huge swathes of
the capital, Brazzaville, before fighting came to an end in October 1997, at which date Angolan troops
backing the Sassou faction invaded and helped unseat Lissouba’s government. Soon after, Sassou
declared himself president and appointed a new 33-member government, while in the aftermath of the
conflict he actively sought reconciliation and backed the December accord of 1999, which called for
all-inclusive political negotiations between the state and its political opponents. By 2002 all sides had
agreed to continue the path to peace, though the last vestiges of the civil war militia continued to fight
on in the south until a peace accord was signed in March 2003.

The Republic of the Congo’s legal system is based on the French civil code and on customary law,
while prior to the civil war of 1997 its government was also based on the French model. Following
Sassou’s return to power, the 1992 Constitution was suspended with the Fundamental Act of 24
October 1997, and a new constitution was adopted by a referendum in January 2002. This provided
for a seven-year presidency and abolished the post of Prime Minister, while it created a bicameral
system of government comprising: the Senate, with 72 senators elected for six-year periods (terms are
staggered so that a third of the membership is renewed every two years); and the National Assembly,
whose members serve for five years. In October 2015 a referendum was held on a new constitution
which contained several notable changes, including: allowing a person to be elected president more
than twice; reducing the length of presidential terms to five years; and establishing the post of
prime minister as head of government, rather than the president. An overwhelming majority of voters
– 92.96% – approved the new constitution in a public vote, and it was formally promulgated by
President Sassou on 6 November 2015.

Thanks to the country’s new constitution, Sassou was able to run for a third term in the presidential
election conducted in March 2016. While the incumbent again emerged triumphant, claiming 60%
of the vote in the first round, the electoral process drew criticism, particularly over a decision by
the government to order a telecommunications blackout on the day of the ballot. A similar situation
unfolded on the day of the most recent presidential election, which was held on 21 March 2021, with
the nation’s internet services blacked for a three-day period. In the event, Sassou once again emerged
victorious in the ballot, securing 88.4% of votes to lay claim to his fourth term as president.

Meanwhile, the Republic of the Congo’s most recent parliamentary election – which took place in
July 2017 – saw Sassou’s PCT again secure the bulk of seats; 90 of the 151 available, up one from
the 89 it had secured in the 2012 ballot. The remainder of seats were split between independent
candidates and a number of smaller parties, with the largest of those being the Pan-African Union
for Social Democracy, which won eight seats. In the wake of the election Clement Mouamba was re-
appointed to the post of Prime Minister by President Sassou in August 2017. More recently, following
Sassou’s re-election as president, in a procedural move Mouamba and his government resigned in May
2021 and later that month Anatole Collinet Makosso, formerly the education minister in the outgoing
administration, was appointed as the new PM.

Economic Development
The Republic of the Congo (also known as Congo-Brazzaville) is one of Africa’s main oil producers
and petroleum-related products continue to be a mainstay of the economy, with the oil sector said
to account for more than half of GDP and around 80% of exports, as well as a significant portion
of the country’s tax revenue, according to the African Development Bank Group (AfDB). Forestry
(once the pillar of the economy), natural gas and diamonds are also major Congolese exports, while
China is now one of the country’s major development and trading partners; the latter has operations
in the central African nation ranging from development financing, direct investment, and technical
assistance.

According to the IMF the COVID-19 pandemic, the ensuing oil price collapse and reduced oil
production had ‘wide-ranging’ economic consequences for the Republic of Congo in 2020 and 2021.
Real GDP was reported to have contracted by 8.2% in 2020, compared to a 0.4% contraction in
2019, while the international body suggested that a contraction of 0.2% would be recorded in 2021,
before the country returns to growth in 2022, with the economy forecast to expand by 2.3% that year.

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Average headline inflation was reported to have stood at 1.8% in 2020, per the IMF, while it said
it expected inflation of 2.0% in 2021, with food price increases seen during the early stages of the
global health crisis said to have moderated, while non-food inflation remained low, reflecting weak
economic activity.

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Regulations
Regulatory Overview
Communications markets in the Republic of the Congo are governed under Law No.9/2009, which in
November 2009 replaced Law No.14/97. Under the earlier law the monopoly of state-owned Office
National des Postes et Telecommunications (ONPT) had been abolished, with the company until
that date having been both the regulator and the sole provider of basic voice telephony services.
As per the updated legislation, the ONPT’s regulatory functions were handed off to the Ministry of
Posts and Telecommunications (MPT), now known as the Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications and
the Digital Economy (Ministere des Postes, des Telecommunications et de L‘Economie Numerique,
MPTEN), while the Directorate General of Posts and Telecommunications (DGACPT) was formed in
1998 as a technical body to assist the MPT in executing plans for development and supervising the
organisation of the sector.

Upon the passing of Law No.11/2009 of 25 November 2009, meanwhile, the DGACPT was dissolved
and the Regulatory Agency for Electronic Communications and Post (L’Agence de Regulation des
Postes et des Communications Electroniques, ARPCE) was established as the new body regulating
postal and electronic communications. The ARPCE, which formally commenced operations on 5
February 2010, remains subject to oversight by the MPTEN and is tasked with the ‘regulating,
monitoring and evaluation of regulated sectors, entrusted by the laws and regulations concerning
postal and electronic communications’. It also retains the capacity to settle disputes in litigation
between regulated companies, while Article 83 of the regulator’s statutes, approved by Congolese
Decree No.2009/477, provides that ‘acts, decisions, injunctions, and sanctions taken by the regulatory
agency are published in the agency’s journal, and on its internet site’, with these being subject to
appeal before a court of law.

As part of its remit, the ARPCE designates those operators deemed to have significant market power
(SMP) in addition to imposing any relevant obligations on them, including: the requirement to grant
reasonable requests for access to network elements; the requirement to publish detailed information
regarding the technical details and pricing of interconnection; and a requirement to liaise with the
ARPCE at least once a year regarding the basic information required for the control of calculating
interconnection costs.

Universal Service Fund

In September 2017 Congo’s communications minister announced the creation of a universal service
fund (USF), to be financed by operators contributing up to 2% of their annual turnover, which would
be used to fund projects which aim to enhance connectivity for consumers, with a particular focus
on improving coverage in rural and underserved regions. Related legislation was forthcoming in May
2019, when the MPTEN announced the signing of Decree No.2019/123, which set out the terms for
managing the USF by the ARPCE and confirmed that the fund would be set up as a trust account
open to public records. Further, Decree No.2019/124, passed at the same date, set out the terms for
implanting universal access services. Subsequently, in March 2020 the MEPTC confirmed that a first
USF-related administrative and budgetary meeting had been held, at which the fund’s committee
adopted a strategic document for the development of universal access and service for the period
2020-2025.

Regulation Links
Mobile Key Legislation

Fixed Broadband Key Legislation

Fixed Voice Key Legislation

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Mobile Regulatory Overview
Regulatory Bodies

Ministry of Posts, Telecoms and the Digital Economy (MPTEN)

Boulevard Denis Sassou N’Guesso

BP 44
Brazzaville
Congo, Rep.
Tel. +242 22 6134099
https://postetelecom.gouv.cg

Agence de Regulation des Postes et Communications (ARPCE)

91 Avenue de l'Amitie
BP2490
Brazzaville
Congo, Rep.
Tel. +242 05 5107272
https://www.arpce.cg

Mobile Key Legislation

2G Licensing

Law No.14/97 (since replaced by Law No.9/2009, see Regulatory Overview) paved the way for
the licensing of the first operators to compete with the Republic of the Congo’s mobile incumbent
Cyrus Telecom International (Cyrtel), which was part owned by state-run former incumbent fixed
line operator Office National des Postes et Telecommunications (ONPT). Celtel Congo (now Airtel
Congo) was awarded a licence in 1999, with MTN Congo (then Libertis Telecom) receiving its
900MHz concession the following year. Then, in August 2006 the Congolese government awarded
UAE-based Warid Telecom licences allowing it to offer WiLL, WiMAX and GSM-based services.
Rounding out the nation’s 2G concessions, in January 2010 a mobile network operator (MNO) licence
was awarded to Equateur Telecom Congo (ETC, which had offered services under the ‘Azur’ brand
but has since had its operations suspended by the authorities, see below), a subsidiary of Bahraini
telecoms group BinTel; the GSM concession was handed over after several months of negotiations,
though no financial details of the licence provision were disclosed.

3G Licensing

In October 2011 Airtel became the country’s first MNO to launch 3G services, after it confirmed
it had been handed a third-generation concession by the Congolese authorities. Meanwhile, South
Africa-based MTN Group was reported to have secured a 3G licence for its Congolese subsidiary just
a month later, in November 2011, although the cellco did not introduce the technology commercially
until mid-2013.

Spectrum Liberalisation

June 2014 saw the Regulatory Agency for Electronic Communications and Post (Agence de
Regulation des Postes et des Communications Electroniques, ARPCE) published Decision No.053, as
it sought to promote more widespread deployment of advanced mobile broadband technologies. As
per this legislation, the regulator confirmed that it would allow those MNOs holding spectrum in the
900MHz and 1800MHz bands to refarm it for 3G (UMTS) and 4G (LTE) technologies, respectively.
It confirmed as part of that ruling that cellcos would not be charged any more for the frequencies they
held, arguing that the decision would not only allow for the introduction of faster mobile broadband in

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many areas, but also mean fewer base stations needing to be constructed to achieve similar coverage
levels as 2100MHz 3G networks had at that date.

4G Licensing

In late 2016 MTN became the first of the nation’s MNOs to secure a separate 4G licence; with this
understood to have included spectrum in the 2600MHz band, its parent company confirmed in its
annual report for 2016 that it had paid approximately USD16 million for what it referred to as an ‘LTE
and fibre licence’. With rival Airtel having finally launched its own commercial LTE-based offering
in December 2018, it did so after paying around USD17.6 billion for its own 15-year 4G licence that
same month. The operator did not, however, confirm whether this concession award had included any
new spectrum.

Suspension of Azur’s Operations (2019)

In September 2019 it was reported that the ARPCE had suspended Azur Congo’s activity in the mobile
sector, on the grounds that it was no longer able to meet its operating costs and pay its interconnection
dues. This development came despite an announcement by the cellco a month earlier in which it
claimed to have completed work on improving its infrastructure in Brazzaville, Pointe-Noire and
Dolisie, while also suggesting that it was aiming to finalise negotiations with unnamed partners that
would allow it to raise the funds necessary for a 4G licence. With no further developments reported
as at January 2022, it appears that Azur Congo will not be making a return to the Congolese mobile
sector.

SIM Registration

Decree No.2010-554 of May 2010 introduced a requirement for MNOs to register all subscribers from
1 January 2011, a move the state argued would help fight crime and terrorism. In October 2011 the
ARPCE announced the closure of a campaign aimed at registering mobile subscriber data, with 92%
of customers said to have handed over their details by 30 September 2011. All cellcos were given
seven days to integrate subscriber data into their respective databases, while from 7 October 2011
those customers that had not provided their details were no longer be able to make outgoing calls,
before access was completely suspended on 21 October.

Subsequently, in December 2017 a new campaign seeking to identify mobile subscribers was launched
by the ARPCE. This development came amid suggestions that the number of SIM cards in the country
that were being used fraudulently remained high, with the regulator’s director general Yves Castanou
cited as saying at that date that some half a dozen illegal networks had been shut down in 2017
alone. With the executive having also sought to remind local cellcos of their obligation to make sure
the identification process for subscribers was correctly followed, the authorities indicated that action
could be taken against any company deemed to not have met their obligations.

More recently, in July 2021 the ARPCE again raised concerns over failures by both MTN and Airtel
to accurately register their subscribers. At that date the regulator issued a formal notice to both
MNOs after a survey on SIM registration carried out in Brazzaville, Pointe-Noire, Dolisie and Ouesso
between May 2021 and June 2021. In that survey the ARPCE claimed that only 70% of SIMs in
Brazzaville had been correctly registered, while more troublingly it said that 100% of SIMs purchased
in Pointe-Noire and Dolisie were unregistered. With the regulator having given both cellcos one
month to correct their databases, it threatened that ‘heavy penalties’ could be forthcoming at the end
of a fresh investigation. No further developments in this area had been reported as of January 2022,
however.

Quality of Service Issues

In April 2014, the ARPCE levied fines on both Airtel and MTN for failing to adhere to legal and
regulatory obligations relating to performance, quality, and availability of their networks, with both
cellcos ordered to pay the watchdog 1% of their respective annual revenues. ARPCE director general
Yves Castanou was cited as saying at the time that the regulator had repeatedly reminded operators
of their obligations to consumers regarding service quality, while also confirming that both cellcos
had been previously warned of possible financial sanctions if they failed to remedy network issues.
Subsequently, in July 2014 the regulator announced that both operators had committed to improving
their respective infrastructure over a five-month period, with the ARPCE scheduling a re-examination

7
of the networks for January 2015. Seemingly unhappy with the operators’ response to its initial fines,
in August 2015 the APRCE confirmed it was further punishing both Airtel and MTN, reducing the
terms of their respective 2G and 3G licences by one year apiece.

Quality of service issues have persisted, however, with September 2020 seeing reports that both MTN
and Airtel had been given three months to improve things by the ARPCE. At that date it was suggested
that the COVID-19 pandemic had played a part in the issues, however, with network outages in some
parts of the country attributed to the pandemic hampering both cellcos’ field operations. With there
having been no subsequent word that either cellco had been penalised over these quality of service
issues, the ARPCE has continued to monitor the matter, with the regulator most recently releasing the
latest results of ongoing tests of both MTN and Airtel’s infrastructure in September 2021.

Miscellaneous

Other relevant regulation includes Decision No.305 of 29 September 2010, which confirmed plans
to implement a new nine-digit numbering system from 15 October 2010; the transition to the new
system was officially completed on 15 January 2011, at which date seven-digit numbers were no
longer accessible.

Meanwhile, in August 2020 the Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC)
– comprising Cameroon, the Central African Republic (CAR), the Republic of Congo, Gabon,
Equatorial Guinea, and Chad – approved plans to eliminate roaming charges for mobile users
travelling between member states, with effect from 1 January 2021. Representatives from the nations’
telecom ministries initially agreed to the proposals in February 2020, and CEMAC’s council approved
the programme on 10 August 2020. As such, since the start of 2021 users across the region have
been charged their standard rates for making call and sending messages whilst within the CEMAC’s
territory.

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Mobile Termination Rates

Source: ARPCE

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As part of a wide-ranging sector examination, in January 2013 the ARPCE designated both Airtel
and MTN as having significant market power (SMP) in the market for mobile voice termination and
SMS termination. As such, both cellcos were required to fulfil several obligations, including granting
reasonable requests for access to network elements, the publication of detailed information regarding
the technical details and pricing of interconnection, and liaising with the regulator at least once a
year regarding the basic information required for the control of calculating interconnection costs.
Decision No. 75/ARPCE-DG/DAJI/DEM/12, published in August 2012, extended a previous ruling
(Decision No. 116/ARPCE-DG/DAJI/DEM/11) which had set the termination rates for voice calls
for the period 2011-12; this set the voice mobile termination rate (MTR) for both Airtel and MTN
at XAF40 per minute, while for Azur and Warid Congo the rate was set at XAF50 per minute. In
updating its decision, the regulator confirmed that the previously set rates would remain valid until 31
August 2013, rather than until the end of 2012 as originally planned. A subsequent ruling (Decision
No. 075/ARPCE-DG/DAJI/DEM/14) revised the charges further, and for the period 1 October 2014
to 30 September 2016 MTN and Airtel’s MTR was capped at XAF31 per minute, while for both Azur
and Congo Telecom (Congotel) the cap was set at XAF40.

With the ARPCE subsequently claiming that the reduction in termination rates had not actually
benefitted consumers, Decision No. 075/ARPCE-DG/DAJI/DEM/14 of June 2015 set out to pass on
savings to the end users. To that end, on the back of legislation passed earlier in the year which set out
procedures for framing communications tariffs (Decree No.2015-242 of 4 February 2015), the June
ruling decreed that off-net mobile voice call costs would be capped at XAF70 per minute for both
Airtel and MTN, while the ARPCE also implemented a XAF10 per SMS cap at the same time.

More recently, in October 2016 the ARPCE published a public consultation in which it sought
feedback regarding the setting of MTRs for the period 2017-18. As per the regulator’s proposals
it said it would again set two rates, one for the market’s larger operators and another for the
smaller two. To that end, the ARPCE proposed an MTR of XAF31 for terminating calls on either
MTN or Airtel’s network, while there would be a higher charge of XAF40 for calls terminated
on Azur or Congotel’s infrastructure. It finalised its plans with the passing of Decision No.
077/ARPCE-DG/DAJI/DRSCE/16, fixing the termination rates for voice calls and SMS for the period
1 January 2017 to 31 December 2018. With that latter date having passed, however, the regulator
had yet to announce any plans regarding further revisions to MTRs by January 2022, and as such
TeleGeography believes the rates remained unchanged.

MVNO Legislation
At January 2022 there was no known legislation in the Republic of the Congo specifically related to
MVNOs.

Fixed Broadband Regulatory Overview

Regulatory Bodies

Ministry of Posts, Telecoms and the Digital Economy (MPTEN)

Boulevard Denis Sassou N’Guesso

BP 44
Brazzaville
Congo, Rep.
Tel. +242 22 6134099
https://postetelecom.gouv.cg

Agence de Regulation des Postes et Communications (ARPCE)

91 Avenue de l'Amitie
BP2490

10
Brazzaville
Congo, Rep.
Tel. +242 05 5107272
https://www.arpce.cg

Current Status of Local Loop Unbundling: No plans

Fixed Broadband Key Legislation

Since its creation, the Regulatory Agency for Electronic Communications and Post (L’Agence de
Regulation des Postes et des Communications Electroniques, ARPCE) has enacted several measures
with a view to helping kickstart the Republic of the Congo’s almost non-existent broadband market.
To that end, in its infancy the regulator listed a plan of action for the internet sector which outlined
elements including:

• the technical coordination of all development projects, optical infrastructures, and related services

• the coordination of development projects related to the internet in the Congo, particularly the
introduction of domain names and the development of internet exchange points

• the initiation and proposal of a regulatory framework adapted to the needs of the market of optical
networks and internet services.

Internet Exchange Point

In line with a focus on developing internet connectivity in the country, in May 2011 the ARPCE
detailed an internet exchange point (IXP) project, to be led by a working group called GTI, comprising
the regulator itself and several local internet players, including Alink Telecom, AMC Telecom, WiFly,
Airnet and OFIS. The primary mission of the working group was to address all issues and aspects
related to the establishment of an IXP, to be known as the Congo Internet Exchange (CGI), which
was to be established in the cities of Brazzaville, Pointe-Noire and Oyo. With the ARPCE having
subsequently hosted workshops related to the matter, in May 2013 it officially announced that an IXP
had been established in Brazzaville, with the construction coming as part of the implementation of
the Central African Backbone (CAB) project (see below). Notably, in May 2017 it was revealed that
neighbouring Gabon had lost its status as the sub-regional internet exchange point IXP given to it
by the African Union, with the Republic of the Congo understood to have since taken up the role
of providing a Central African IXP with the aim of guaranteeing secure, fast, and low-cost internet
access to subscribers in the region.

Silicon Connect/Energie Electrique du Congo (E2C) Concession (2020)

In September 2020 Silicone Connect, part of Yao Group – a company reportedly controlled by Omar
Denis Jr Bongo, grandson of Congolese president Denis Sassou Nguesso – was reported to have inked
a deal allowing it to offer communications services over the aerial fibre infrastructure belonging to
utility company Energie Electrique du Congo (E2C). This development swiftly prompted criticism,
with it reported that Congo’s finance minister, Calixte Nganongo, had in November 2020 written to
his counterpart at the MPTEN to raise concerns over the awarding of the concession. Just a month
later, in December 2020 Congotel employees demonstrated and threatened to strike during a visit of
communications minister, Leon Juste Ibombo, while calling on the regulator to withdraw the licence.
In response, a press release issued by the MPTEN in December 2020 sought to clarify the matter
and stressed that the awarding of the concession was in line with the country’s overarching goal of
enhancing the digital economy, while also ensuring that any insufficiently exploited infrastructure
does not fall into obsolescence. Further, the ministry also sought to highlight the fact that Congotel
was currently using only four strands of E2C’s 24-strand fibre-optic infrastructure, and as such it
was suggested that the contract allowing Silicone Connect to utilise some of the unused parts of the
network should have no impact on the fixed line incumbent.

Airtel WiMAX Licence

Airtel Congo was issued a five-year licence allowing for the provision of WiMAX-based services in
October 2017; the concession was reported to have cost the operator around USD216,000, but it was

11
not confirmed whether it included any new spectrum.

Miscellaneous

As part of a wide-ranging sector examination in January 2013, the ARPCE confirmed that it had
designated Congotel as having significant market power (SMP) in the market related to access to
fibre backbone networks and in the market for wholesale capacity at landing stations. A consultation
launched in December 2014 asked for feedback from interested parties on the designation of SMP
with regards to both aforementioned markets for the period 2015-16, and with this having closed on 28
December 2014, the incumbent’s position as sole SMP operator is understood to have been renewed
in the first half of 2015. While the ARPCE began a fresh investigation into the designation of SMP
in October 2016, it had not published an official decision on its website at January 2021, though
TeleGeography believes the fixed line incumbent’s designation as holding SMP was reconfirmed for
the period to 31 December 2018. An examination of SMP for the period post-2018 has, meanwhile,
yet to be confirmed by the ARPCE.

Another item that the regulator has been able to tick off its to-do list is the creation of a body
overseeing the country’s local domain suffix. The Congolese Internet Naming Agency (L’agence
Congolaise de Nommage Internet du Congo, ACNIC) was inaugurated in June 2011 and among the
body’s responsibilities was the establishment of a naming plan for the .cg domain.

Local Loop Unbundling

No regulatory provision for local loop unbundling (LLU) exists in the Republic of the Congo.

Fixed Voice Regulatory Overview

Regulatory Bodies

Ministry of Posts, Telecoms and the Digital Economy (MPTEN)

Boulevard Denis Sassou N’Guesso

BP 44
Brazzaville
Congo, Rep.
Tel. +242 22 6134099
https://postetelecom.gouv.cg

Agence de Regulation des Postes et Communications (ARPCE)

91 Avenue de l'Amitie
BP2490
Brazzaville
Congo, Rep.
Tel. +242 05 5107272
https://www.arpce.cg

Dates of Liberalisation
• Local Telephony: May 1997
• Domestic Long-distance Telephony: May 1997
• International Telephony: May 1997

Notes: both the international gateway services and WiLL markets were remade a monopoly of

12
Congotel (then known as SOTELCO) in 2004, under Decree No.2004-466. Following pressure from
the World Bank, however, the decision was repealed in March 2008 by Decree No.2008-63

Fixed Voice Key Legislation

Telecoms Law No.14/97 (since replaced by Law No.9/2009, see Regulatory Overview) abolished the
monopoly of the state-owned Office National des Postes et Telecommunications (ONPT), which until
that date had been both the regulator and the sole provider of basic voice telephony services. Two
amendments to the old law, Decrees No.187/99 and No.188/99 (both passed in October 1999), made
provisions for interconnection and set forth conditions for the establishment of new operators and
their operation of services, respectively.

Under legislative guidelines to reorganise and privatise public companies, the ONPT was due to be
effectively dissolved in July 2001 by Ordinance No. 8/01 and replaced by two new, separate entities:
the Societe des Postes et d’Epargne du Congo (SOPECO), which would manage the nation’s postal
service; and the Societe des Telecommunications du Congo (SOTELCO) – now known as Congo
Telecom (Congotel), a new public company which would assume responsibility for establishing,
developing and operating the country’s PSTN. This process was delayed, however, and with
Ordinance No. 8/01 repealed it was not until 15 February 2003 that a new bill to create SOTELCO as
a limited company was finally adopted by the Senate; the telco was officially founded the following
month.

In November 2004, the government issued Decree No.2004/466, reinstating SOTELCO’s monopoly
on international gateway services and WiLL access. With this move incurring the wrath of the
World Bank, the country’s largest donor via the International Development Association (IDA), the
financial body demanded that the Congolese state repeal the decree and adopt new draft laws covering
the creation of an independent regulatory body and the wider regulation of the telecoms industry.
As a result, in March 2005 Order No.2711/MPTC/MEFB was introduced, fixing the duties, taxes,
fees and charges in establishing and operating networks and telecommunication services, altering
pricing structures previously created by Orders No.846 and No.1060. Decree No.2004/466 was finally
repealed in March 2008 with the issuing of Decree No.2008/63, which once again liberalised the
international gateway and WiLL markets.

VoIP Legislation
There were no specific regulations related to VoIP telephony in the Republic of the Congo at January
2022 and as such it is treated as a standard fixed line service.

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Mobile
Market Commentary
Over the years, mobile network operators (MNOs) in the Republic of the Congo have taken advantage
of the poor availability and high cost of fixed line services to establish significant subscriber bases.
Mobile voice penetration surpassed fixed line voice penetration as far back as 1999, while the
market’s two cellcos – MTN Congo and Airtel Congo – have since developed extensive networks,
with services widely available in the cities of Brazzaville, Pointe-Noire, Dolisie, Nkayi, Kinkala,
Mouyondzi, Gamboma and Ouesso. Coverage of areas outside of major population centres has also
continued to improve.

Market Players

Airtel’s mid-2010 acquisition of what was then the market’s third largest cellco, Warid Congo,
notably altered the shape of the Congolese mobile sector. Although both Airtel and Warid boasted
smaller individual customer bases than then market leader MTN, upon being combined the newly
enlarged entity became the nation’s biggest provider by subscriptions at the end of 2014. However,
within just three months parity between the pair had been restored, before MTN reclaimed its position
as market leader at the end of June 2015.

With both operators having continued to vie for the top spot, as of 31 December 2021 MTN had
managed to maintain – and indeed extend – its lead against its rival, with its subscription total standing
at 3.31 million at that date, up from 3.07 million a year earlier. This translated to a market share of
more than 58%, up from just under 57% a year earlier. By comparison, Airtel was reported to have
registered declines in its subscription total in the latter half of 2021, with it closing the year with 2.34
million subscriptions on its books, down from a recent peak of 2.66 million at mid-2021, but broadly
unchanged from the 2.33 million it had at end-2020. As a result of such subscription losses, Airtel’s
market share fell to just over 41% at end-2021, from around 43% a year earlier.

Beyond that pair of MNOs, Equateur Telecom Congo (ETC), which operated under the ‘Azur Congo’
banner, had made some inroads in the market, having attracted a peak of 388,000 subscriptions by
30 September 2016. However, having failed to keep pace with the more advanced technologies on
offer by its rivals (see below), it began to lose subscriptions, and it was confirmed to have shed
almost half of its base in the year to mid-2018. Following continued declines – which were estimated
to have reduced its subscription total to less than 100,000 a year later – in September 2019 the
Regulatory Agency for Electronic Communications and Post (L’Agence de Regulation des Postes et
des Communications Electroniques, ARPCE) suspended Azur Congo’s operations, on the grounds it
was no longer able to cover operating costs or pay its rivals the monies it owed for interconnection,
and the company has been non-operational ever since.

Rounding out the Republic of the Congo’s cellular sector, fixed line incumbent Congo Telecom
(Congotel) had launched a CDMA-based wireless voice option as part of a brand refresh in April 2014.
With this seemingly having done little to trouble the incumbent cellcos in terms of attracting users,
the service proved short-lived and was soon discontinued. Although Congotel did continue to offer a
CDMA-based mobile broadband only plan for a time – with take-up for this offering also believed to
be negligible – following a brand refresh in December 2020, the operator ceased marketing all mobile
broadband services.

Notable Technology Developments

Airtel Congo was the first of the country’s MNOs to introduce a commercial third-generation offering,
doing so in October 2011, while MTN Congo eventually followed suit with the launch of its own
3G services in August 2013. MTN was, however, the first to market with an LTE-based offering,
confirming the launch of 4G in selected areas of Brazzaville and Pointe-Noire in December 2016;
coverage has since been extended to an estimated 70% of the population, up from around 50% at-
mid-2019. Airtel took a further two years to gain technological parity with its major rival, finally
confirming its own 4G launch in Brazzaville and Pointe-Noire in December 2018, but has stolen a
march on its rival in terms of coverage; at January 2022 the cellco was claiming that its 4G network

14
was available to 83% of the population.

Networks
Provider
Name Generation Platform Evolution Frequency Launch Status Network Details

Airtel 2G GSM None 900/1800 Dec 1999 Live Jan-22: >90% (est.,
Congo includes former
Warid Congo
infrastructure)

Airtel 2.5G GSM GPRS 900 Q2 2008 Live Jan-22: unknown

Congo

Airtel 3G W-CDMA None 2100 Oct 2011 Live Jan-22: 88% (est.)
Congo

Airtel 3.5G W-CDMA HSDPA 2100 Oct 2011 Live Jan-22: 88% (est.)
Congo

Airtel 3.5G W-CDMA HSPA+ 2100 Oct 2011 Live Jan-22: 88% (est.)
Congo

Airtel 4G LTE None Unknown Dec 2018 Live Jan-22: 83%

Congo

Congo 3.5G CDMA2000 1xEV-DO Unknown Apr 2014 Unknown Jan-22: network
Telecom Rev A status unclear;
(Congotel) ceased advertising
mobile broadband
services following
brand refresh in
Dec-20

MTN 2G GSM None 900 May 2000 Live Jan-22: ~93% (est.)
Congo

MTN 2.5G GSM GPRS 900 Q4 2008 Live Jan-22: unknown

Congo

MTN 2.5G GSM EDGE 900 Q4 2008 Live Jan-22: unknown

Congo

MTN 3G W-CDMA None 2100 Aug 2013 Live Jan-22: 87% (est.),
Congo including
Brazzaville, other
major cities and
larger urban
locations

MTN 4G LTE None 2600 Dec 2016 Live Jan-22: 70% (est.),
Congo including
Brazzaville, Pointe-
Noire and other
major cities

Spectrum Awarded Timeline

Band Band Block Block
Paid Term Paired Unpaired Paired Unpaired
Recipient Type (USDm) (yrs) (MHz) (MHz) (MHz) (MHz) Note

2018

15
 Band Band Block Block
Paid Term Paired Unpaired Paired Unpaired
Recipient Type (USDm) (yrs) (MHz) (MHz) (MHz) (MHz) Note

Airtel Congo LTE 17.6 15

2016

MTN Congo LTE 16 2600

2014

Airtel Congo W-CDMA 0 900 Refarmed

Airtel Congo LTE 0 1800 Refarmed

Equateur W-CDMA 0 900 Refarmed

Telecom
Congo

Equateur LTE 0 1800 Refarmed

Telecom
Congo

MTN Congo W-CDMA 0 900 Refarmed

MTN Congo LTE 0 1800 Refarmed

2011

MTN Congo W-CDMA 17 2100

Airtel Congo W-CDMA 2100

2010

Equateur GSM 900, 1800

Telecom
Congo

2006

Warid GSM 900

Congo

2000

Libertis GSM 900

Telecom

1999

Celtel GSM 900

Congo

Notes: for full spectrum awarded timeline details, including additional notes and specific ranges
where available, see Spectrum Timeline downloadable spreadsheet in the Download part of
GlobalComms

Spectrum Held Summary

Company Paired (MHz) Unpaired (MHz)

Airtel Congo 900, 1800, 1900, 2100 2300

MTN Congo 900, 1800, 1900, 2100 2600

16
Notes: for full spectrum details, including block sizes, expiry dates and specific ranges where
available, see Spectrum Search in the Search&Export part of GlobalComms

Mobile Links
MVNO Market Commentary

Main Players

Total Subscriptions Share by Network

Sources: ARPCE, operators, estimates

Subscriptions Market Share History

Provider Name Mar 2021 Jun 2021 Sep 2021 Dec 2021 Mar 2022 Jun 2022

MTN Congo 55.1% 54.0% 56.2% 57.7% 58.1% 59.0%

Airtel Congo 44.8% 45.9% 43.8% 42.3% 41.8% 41.0%

Congo Telecom (Congotel) 0.1% 0.1% 0.1% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0%

17
Subscriptions Market Share History

Sources: ARPCE, operators, estimates

3G Subscriptions Share by Network

Sources: estimates

18
4G Subscriptions Share by Network

Sources: estimates

Quarterly Subscriptions by Network

Mar Jun Sep Dec Mar Jun
Provider Name Subscriptions 2021 2021 2021 2021 2022 2022

Airtel Congo Total 2,546,000 2,662,000 2,518,000 2,343,000 2,307,000 2,286,000

Airtel Congo 3G 354,000 350,000 349,000 332,000 323,000 325,000

Airtel Congo 4G 231,000 245,000 256,000 258,000 263,000 268,000

Congo Telecom Total 4,000 3,650 3,150 2,600 2,250 1,850

(Congotel)

Congo Telecom 3G 4,000 3,650 3,150 2,600 2,250 1,850

(Congotel)

MTN Congo Total 3,135,000 3,132,000 3,230,000 3,195,000 3,204,000 3,288,000

MTN Congo 3G 755,000 777,000 786,000 836,000 808,000 830,000

MTN Congo 4G 658,000 677,000 685,000 728,000 704,000 725,000

Annual Country Subscriptions Growth

Pop. 3G 4G 5G
Growth Pen. Growth Growth Growth
Year Total (%) (%) 3G (%) 4G (%) 5G (%)

2016 4,792,315 8.6 91.3 730,315 63.1 500 0

2017 5,076,175 5.9 94.4 829,675 13.6 15,000 2,900.0 0

2018 4,943,625 -2.6 89.8 927,375 11.8 136,250 808.3 0

2019 4,813,575 -2.6 85.4 923,575 -0.4 490,000 259.6 0

2020 5,399,195 12.2 93.6 1,067,195 15.6 829,000 69.2 0

2021 5,540,600 2.6 93.9 1,170,600 9.7 986,000 18.9 0

19
Quarterly Country Subscriptions Growth
3G 4G 5G
Growth Growth Growth Growth
Period Total (%) 3G (%) 4G (%) 5G (%)

Mar 2020 4,861,985 1.0 975,985 5.7 591,000 20.6 0

Jun 2020 4,768,125 -1.9 1,026,125 5.1 612,000 3.6 0

Sep 2020 5,056,250 6.0 1,047,250 2.1 796,000 30.1 0

Dec 2020 5,399,195 6.8 1,067,195 1.9 829,000 4.1 0

Mar 2021 5,685,000 5.3 1,113,000 4.3 889,000 7.2 0

Jun 2021 5,797,650 2.0 1,130,650 1.6 922,000 3.7 0

Sep 2021 5,751,150 -0.8 1,138,150 0.7 941,000 2.1 0

Dec 2021 5,540,600 -3.7 1,170,600 2.9 986,000 4.8 0

Mar 2022 5,513,250 -0.5 1,133,250 -3.2 967,000 -1.9 0

Jun 2022 5,575,850 1.1 1,156,850 2.1 993,000 2.7 0

MVNO Market Commentary

At January 2022 there were no MVNOs operating in the Republic of the Congo, and no legislation
which provides for their introduction. Nonetheless, one company to have shown an interest in entering
the sector was Lycamobile. In a November 2017 presentation the UK-based MVNO group listed
the Republic of the Congo as a ‘planned country launch’, having inked a strategic partnership that
same month with Bahrain-based holding company BinTel Group, which had a presence in the African
nation via wholly owned subsidiary Azur Telecom Group, parent company of Azur Congo. While the
contract between the two companies was said to cover the development of international traffic, the
financing of cash requirements, and the deployment of 4G, ultimately no launch was forthcoming,
while Azur has itself since exited the Congolese cellular sector (see Mobile Market Commentary).

Total Subscriptions Growth

Sources: ARPCE, operators, estimates

20
Main Players
MTN Congo
36 Avenue Amilcar Cabral
BP 1150
Brazzaville
Congo, Rep.
Tel. +242 06 9661100
https://www.mtn.cg

MTN Congo was founded by Egypt’s Orascom Telecom as Libertis Telecom, which launched
commercial services in Brazzaville in May 2000 as the Republic of the Congo’s third mobile network
operator (MNO). Under Orascom’s stewardship Libertis rapidly established itself as the country’s
second largest cellco by subscribers, as the Egyptian company invested more than USD25 million
in its GSM network, rolling out services sequentially to Pointe-Noire (August 2000), Oyo (May
2001) and Madingou and Kayes (December 2001), offering a range of pre-paid and post-paid tariffs.
Expansion soon slowed amid growing criticism from customers over the quality of service on offer,
however, while as part of a restructuring of its business in early 2005 the Egyptian group opted to
divest its central African units. In line with this, its 65% stake in Libertis was sold to MTN Group for
USD66.6 million in cash in December 2005, with the South African giant acquiring the outstanding
shares from minority investors shortly afterwards for USD35.9 million.

With Libertis having been rebranded as MTN Congo in June 2006, following its acquisition the
cellco said it would focus on the improvement of its infrastructure, expansion of its network of
approved distributors, and the installation of call centres in every major city. Investment climbed
steadily under its new parent, with the bulk of the funds spent on the construction of MTN’s own
core network between Brazzaville and Pointe-Noire. The number of base stations installed nationwide
also increased, while MTN sought to enhance the quality of its existing network infrastructure. To
that end the cellco said it aimed to extend its coverage to 120 locations by the end of 2007, though
it missed that target and ended the year with coverage of just 68 towns and cities. Expansion has
since been enhanced, though, and having achieved its initial target by end-2008, at January 2022 the
cellco boasted national coverage, with around 93% of the population within its network footprint.
Meanwhile, MTN upgraded to GPRS by the end of 2008, while EDGE technology has also been
deployed.

In November 2011 MTN Group revealed that its Congolese unit had been issued a 17-year 3G
concession, but it was not until August 2013 that the cellco finally launched a commercial third-
generation offering in Brazzaville. The cellco’s UMTS network has continued to be developed over
the years, and its latest confirmed expansion was in January 2017, when some 37 new locations
– including Mouyondzi, Pokola, Loudima, Mengo and Makola – gained access to 3G connectivity.
In the absence of any more recent announcements regarding the extension of its network footprint,
TeleGeography estimated that the cellco covered around 87% of the population with its UMTS
infrastructure by the start of 2022.

Further technology advances have been forthcoming, meanwhile, with MTN Congo becoming the
first of the nation’s MNOs to debut a commercial 4G offering in December 2016. At that date, the
cellco confirmed that its ‘4G Turbo’ branded tariffs were on offer in selected areas of the capital,
Brazzaville, as well as parts of the country’s second largest city, Pointe-Noire. Underpinning the
service launch was the award of what the operator’s parent company MTN Group described as an
‘LTE and fibre licence’ at a cost of ZAR226 million (approximately USD16 million). With the
operator’s 4G network footprint confirmed to have been expanded to cover 50% of the population
by July 2019, and it having set a self-imposed target of reaching 65% within a year of that date,
TeleGeography estimates that coverage had increased to around 70% by the start of 2022.

Ownership

MTN Congo is wholly owned by South Africa’s MTN Group.

21
Airtel Congo
2nd Floor, SCI Monte Cristo Building
Rond-point de la Gare
Crossroads of Boulevard Denis Sassou N’guesso and l’avenue Orsy
BP 1038
Brazzaville
Congo, Rep.
https://www.airtel.cg

Airtel Congo was the second mobile network operator (MNO) to launch in the Republic of the Congo,
and the first to roll out digital services. Initially known as Celtel Congo, it inaugurated its GSM-900
network in December 1999 at a time of great post-war upheaval, but nonetheless quickly eclipsed the
now-defunct incumbent operator Cyrtel to become the nation’s largest cellco, with this success built
on its introduction of the country’s first widespread pre-paid services, which boasted call charges
cheaper than fixed line alternatives.

In March 2010 India’s Bharti Airtel inked an agreement to acquire the bulk of the African operations
belonging to Zain Group, though the Congolese government’s initial reaction to the deal was far from
favourable, with it claiming it had not been informed of the proposed transaction. Amid suggestions
that this was a contravention of Zain’s local mobile licence, it was indicated that the government could
impose financial penalties if the matter were not resolved to its satisfaction, while there also remained
a possibility that Celtel’s concession could be revoked or have its duration reduced. While no specifics
of a resolution were formally announced, the government was seemingly placated with a commitment
from Bharti to invest around XAF50 billion in the country, while in July 2010 the Indian company
was also said to have assured the state that it would remain active in the region for a significant time.
In the event, the deal was closed on 7 June 2010, following which Bharti assumed majority control of
the Congolese mobile operator, before rebranding it with the Airtel moniker in November that same
year.

Meanwhile, in November 2013 Bharti Airtel entered into a definitive agreement – valued at
approximately USD80 million – for the acquisition of another Congolese cellco, Warid Congo.
It was not until June 2014 that this deal was formally completed and, with the two companies
having been merged, the Warid brand was discontinued. Prior to its acquisition, Warid – a unit of
UAE-based Warid Telecom – had been awarded concessions to operate WiLL, WiMAX and GSM
mobile networks in the Republic of the Congo in August 2006, though it was not until January 2008
that it inaugurated its GSM-based network, which covered the capital Brazzaville and Pointe-Noire.

Airtel Congo introduced the Republic of the Congo’s first WAP service in June 2000, while in total
more than XAF25 billion is understood to have been invested in the cellco’s 2G infrastructure in
Congo’s two biggest cities, Brazzaville and Pointe-Noire, where its GSM networks were rolled out
by Swedish vendor Ericsson. As of January 2022 Airtel’s infrastructure covered more than 800 towns
and cities across the country, including the major population centres of Dolisie, Gamboma, Impfondo,
Nkayi, Ouesso, Owando and Oyo, with services estimated to be available to more than 90% of the
population.

Meanwhile, with Airtel Congo having bagged what was its Indian parent’s first third-generation
concession in Central Africa in February 2011, in September that year Finland’s Nokia (then Nokia
Networks) signed an agreement with Bharti Airtel to expand the group’s 2G infrastructure and deploy
3G networks in seven African countries, including the Republic of the Congo. On the back of this
development, in October 2011 the Congolese MNO launched commercial 3G/3.5G services, deploying
HSPA+ technology capable of theoretical downlink speeds of up to 21Mbps. At January 2022 Airtel
Congo’s 3G/3.5G services were estimated as being available to around 88% of the population.

More recently, Airtel Congo finally gained parity with its major rival MTN by confirming the
introduction of a commercial LTE-based offering in December 2018. At that date, the cellco
announced that it was offering 4G services in Brazzaville and Pointe-Noire, having that month
secured a new 15-year 4G concession at a cost of around USD17.6 million. Coverage expansion was
subsequently undertaken, with Airtel by early 2020 claiming that 83% of the population were within
its LTE network footprint; at January 2022 the cellco was still reporting that same level of coverage,
however.

22
Ownership

Airtel Congo is 90% owned by Airtel Africa, which was listed on both the London Stock Exchange
(LSE) and Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) in June 2019 but remains a majority-owned subsidiary of
India’s Bharti Airtel.

Congo Telecom (Congotel)

67 Boulevard Denis Sassou N’Guesso
Brazzaville 2027
Congo, Rep.
https://www.congotelecom.cg

Having officially relaunched its retail product range under the Bisengo banner in April 2014, fixed
line incumbent Congo Telecom (Congotel) began offering a mobile voice service, albeit on a very
limited basis. At that date, the telco’s new retail website unveiled mobile voice and data services
which made use of CDMA2000 technology, with maximum downlink speeds available via the network
stated as being above 3Mbps, suggesting the deployment of 3G/3.5G 1xEV-DO Rev A technology.
Coverage was initially restricted to just two cities, those being the capital Brazzaville and Pointe-
Noire, though with the telco having rolled out its fibre-optic network – which it said would be used
to support the 3G service – in Oyo, Dolisie and Nkayi (see Fixed Broadband Operations for details),
these appeared likely to be the next locations to gain access to the service.

With the Bisengo moniker having subsequently been discontinued, however, the operator also ceased
its marketing of a mobile voice service. Although it did initially continue to advertise a mobile
broadband only product – which provided users with maximum downlink speeds of 3.1Mbps and
upload speeds of 1.8Mbps – this offering also appears to have since been discontinued. Indeed,
following a brand refresh in December 2020, Congotel’s website no longer made any mention of
mobile broadband connectivity.

(Note: Congolese telecoms regulator the Regulatory Agency for Electronic Communications and Post
[Agence de Regulation des Postes et des Communications Electroniques, ARPCE] has never included
Congotel in its quarterly mobile market reviews. As such, no official data available regarding uptake
of the operator’s mobile services has ever been released, though TeleGeography believes that prior to
its apparent discontinuation it had been extremely limited.)

Ownership

Congo Telecom (Congotel) is wholly owned by the state.

23
Fixed Broadband
Market Commentary
Poor availability, prohibitive costs, and the slow speed for installations of fixed line services have all
had an impact on the Republic of the Congo’s internet access market. As late as October 1999 the
country was one of only three African nations without a local internet service, but at that date former
monopoly operator the Office National des Postes et Telecommunications (ONPT) finally constructed
a 64kbps (subsequently upgraded to 128kbps) transmitter in the capital Brazzaville, with links to
Telkom South Africa via Intelsat. It also created a new ISP, CongoNet, under fixed line incumbent
Congo Telecom (Congotel) to offer dial-up and wireless internet services. However, by mid-2008
CongoNet was no longer offering internet access, with financial difficulties at Congotel (then known
as SOTELCO) suggested as being the reason why such connectivity was no longer available to users.
A return to the internet sector by Congotel was eventually forthcoming in late-2011, with ADSL
broadband access introduced by the telco at that date.

In terms of the internet connectivity offered by the incumbent today, however, it has foregrounded
fibre-based services, rather than ADSL, having introduced the former during 2017. Moreover, at
January 2022 xDSL technologies were no longer mentioned on the operator’s website at all. One
upside from the telco’s decision to focus on fibre is that the top-end speeds on offer for users have
improved in recent years. With Congotel having initially upped its top-tier plan to offer downlink
rates of up to 16Mbps, from a previous peak of 10Mbps, prices too were reduced, with an entry-level
service – which offered speeds of 2Mbps – costing XAF15,000, less than half the XAF35,000 charged
for the telco’s lowest-cost service at the start of 2018, which was also slower (offering 512kbps
downlink). More recently, top-end speeds were further increased in December 2020, as part of a brand
refresh undertaken by the fixed line incumbent; since that date Congotel’s premium service – Speed 60
– has offered a peak downlink rate of 60Mbps, and cost XAF45,000. Lower-end prices have, however,
increased in return for faster speeds, with Congotel’s entry-level service – Speed 12 – now costing
XAF25,000 per month, and offering download speeds of 12Mbps.

In terms of alternatives for internet access in Congo-Brazzaville, Global Broadband Solutions (GBS)
has offered VSAT and WiMAX-based connectivity since February 2009, though uptake is believed
to remain extremely low. Another player of note is GVA Congo, which launched fibre-to-the-home
(FTTH) connectivity in selected areas of Pointe-Noire in April 2019, and has since extended its reach
to the capital. In addition, mobile network operator (MNOs) Airtel Congo continues to offer WiMAX-
based connectivity, though it squarely targets this service at business users only; fellow cellco
MTN Congo appears to have discontinued a similar product, however. Both cellcos are, meanwhile,
arguably focused on the provision of internet access via their respective 3G/4G cellular networks (see
Airtel and MTN Mobile Operations for details).

International Connectivity

In December 2011 local watchdog the Regulatory Agency for Electronic Communications and Post
(Agence de Regulation des Postes et des Communications Electroniques, ARPCE) confirmed it was
participating in the Central African Backbone (CAB) project, which aims to connect eleven Central
African countries when completed. Construction work on the first stage of the Congolese portion of
the CAB commenced in June 2015, with this having been completed in December 2017 resulting in
a 520km fibre-optic network which interconnects the Republic of the Congo with Gabon. Following
confirmation in March 2018 that interconnection of the fibre-optic backbone networks deployed in
the Republic of the Congo and Gabon had been completed, a month later it was announced that the
next phase of the project – involving the installation of fibre-optic network from Congo to the Central
African Republic (CAR) – had gotten underway. In July 2020 it was confirmed that the fibre-optic
section linking the Republic of Congo to Gabon was once again operational, following the repair of
the network between Pointe-Noire and Mbinda by Mamb Services. Mamb Services had been awarded
a public service delegation contract for the management, marketing, operation, and maintenance of the
Congo-Gabon fibre-optic network after the Congolese communications minister had noted numerous
shortcomings in its deployment in January 2020, including the deployment of optical fibre without
protective sheaths and cables being exposed.

24
Meanwhile, in August 2020 the Congolese government confirmed that construction had commenced
on a 347km fibre-optic link connecting the Republic of the Congo with neighbouring Cameroon, as
part of the CAB programme. The new network will run from Ouesso in Congo to Ntam in Cameroon,
via Paris, Biesse, Sembe and Souanke, and the route will be deployed by Huawei and China
Communications Service International (CCSI). Within Congo, the national fibre-optic backbone runs
from Brazzaville to Ouesso in the north, to Pointe Noire via Dolisie in the west, and from Dolisie to
Mbinda on the border with Gabon.

More recently, another planned development began moving forward in January 2022, at which date
the Republic of Congo and the Central African Republic (CAR) started construction works on a sub-
river fibre-optic cable connecting the two countries. Congo’s Minister of Posts, Telecommunications
and the Digital Economy Leon Juste Ibombo said: ‘We have come to launch the construction works
of the fibre-optic network between Congo and CAR, knowing that a large part of the border between
the two countries is under water.’ The 285km system, deployed by China Communications Services
International and Huawei, will run along the riverbeds of the Congo River and Ubangi River from
Brazzaville (Congo) to Bangui (CAR). Construction works are scheduled to take seven months. The
interconnection of Congo to the CAR is part of phase two of the backbone project, which aims to
interconnect the countries of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) with fibre.

In terms of submarine cable connectivity, meanwhile, at present the West African Cable System
(WACS) – which was declared ready for service (RFS) in May 2012 – is the sole link landing in the
Republic of the Congo. Congotel and MTN Congo are among the shareholders in the cable system.
However, looking ahead the country is expected to be served by the 45,000km, 16 fibre pair ‘2Africa’
system, which is expected to go live in 2023.

25
Networks
Provider Name Access Technology Frequency Launch Status Network Details

Airtel Congo Satellite VSAT Nov 2014 Live Jan-22: nationwide

Airtel Congo WiMAX 2017 Live Jan-22: Brazzaville and Pointe-Noire

Congo Telecom (Congotel) DSL ADSL 2011 Shut Down Believed to have been discontinued in favour of FTTH infrastructure

Congo Telecom (Congotel) LAN/FTTx FTTH 2017 Live Jan-22: major cities, including Brazzaville and Pointe-Noire

Global Broadband Solution LAN/FTTx Live Jan-22: Brazzaville

(GBS, Congo Rep)

Global Broadband Solution Satellite VSAT 2009 Live Jan-22: nationwide

(GBS, Congo Rep)

Global Broadband Solution WiMAX 802.16-2004 3500 Feb 2009 Live Jan-22: Brazzaville
(GBS, Congo Rep)

Global Broadband Solution WiMAX 802.16e 2500 Feb 2009 Live Jan-22: Brazzaville
(GBS, Congo Rep)

GVA Congo (Canalbox) LAN/FTTx FTTH Apr 2019 Live Jan-22: selected areas of Brazaville and Pointe-Noire

MTN Congo FDD-LTE Dec 2016 Live Jan-22: 70% (est.), including Brazzaville, Pointe-Noire and other major cities

MTN Congo WiMAX Shut Down Jan-22: believed shut down, previously available in Brazzaville, Pointe-
Noire, Dolisie, Nkayi, Oyo, Ouesso and Pokola

26
Fixed Broadband Links
Main Players

Retail Subscriptions Share by Provider

Sources: estimates

Quarterly Subscriptions by Operator

Mar 2021 Jun 2021 Sep 2021 Dec 2021 Mar 2022 Jun 2022

Congo Telecom (Congotel) 11,500 12,000 13,000 14,450 15,600 17,000

Annual Country Subscriptions Growth

Year Total Growth (%) H'hold Pen. (%) DSL Cable Fibre/LAN Fixed Wireless Other

2016 3,720 69.5 0.3

2017 6,098 63.9 0.5

2018 8,537 40.0 0.7

2019 12,676 48.5 1.0

2020 17,742 40.0 1.3

2021 28,900 62.9 2.1

Quarterly Country Subscriptions Growth

Period Total Growth (%) DSL Cable Fibre/LAN Fixed Wireless Other

Mar 2020 13,971 10.2

Jun 2020 15,152 8.5

Sep 2020 16,406 8.3

Dec 2020 17,742 8.1

27
Period Total Growth (%) DSL Cable Fibre/LAN Fixed Wireless Other

Mar 2021 19,167 8.0

Jun 2021 20,690 7.9

Sep 2021 23,636 14.2

Dec 2021 28,900 22.3

Mar 2022 31,000 7.3

Jun 2022 33,800 9.0

Subscriptions Growth

Sources: estimates

28
Subscription Plans
Speed

Product Cap/ Set-up Monthly Local Date

Provider Access Name Downstream Upstream Limit Fee Cost Currency Observed

Congo LAN/ Speed 12Mbps Not stated Unlimited XAF45,000 USD45.05 XAF25,000.00 Jan-2022
Telecom FTTx 12 equipment
(Congotel) fee

Congo LAN/ Speed 30Mbps Not stated Unlimited None USD63.07 XAF35,000.00 Jan-2022
Telecom FTTx 30
(Congotel)

Congo LAN/ Speed 60Mbps Not stated Unlimited None USD81.09 XAF45,000.00 Jan-2022
Telecom FTTx 60
(Congotel)

GVA LAN/ Canalbox 10Mbps Not stated Unlimited XAF30,000 USD45.05 XAF25,000.00 Jan-2022
Congo FTTx Start installation
(Canalbox) fee

GVA LAN/ Canalbox 50Mbps Not stated Unlimited XAF30,000 USD81.09 XAF45,000.00 Jan-2022
Congo FTTx Premium installation
(Canalbox) fee

29
Main Players
Congo Telecom (Congotel)
67 Boulevard Denis Sassou N’Guesso
Brazzaville 2027
Congo, Rep.
https://www.congotelecom.cg

Fixed line incumbent Congo Telecom (Congotel), formerly known as Societe des Telecommunications
du Congo (SOTELCO), was formed as a state-run, limited liability company in March 2003, and given
ownership of the PSTN previously operated by former regulator and one-time monopoly operator, the
Office National des Postes et Telecommunications (ONPT).

Initially the telco operated a 128kbps transmitter in the capital Brazzaville, with links to Telkom
South Africa via Intelsat, offering dial-up services in the capital via ISP unit CongoNet. By mid-2008
CongoNet was no longer operational though, with Congotel (then still operating as SOTELCO)
having seemingly ceased offering internet access of any type, despite previous indications that it
was considering the introduction of ADSL services; it was widely believed that financial difficulties
encountered by the incumbent were the primary factor in the decision to discontinue internet services.
By late 2011 the operator had, however, re-entered the internet sector, offering its customers not
only ADSL-based connectivity at downlink speeds of up to 2Mbps, but also IPTV and VoIP, with all
three services also offered together in a triple-play bundle. A subsequent brand revamp saw the telco
launch a new retail web presence, with services offered under the ‘Bisengo’ banner, and its internet
offerings including ADSL, as well as a 3G CDMA mobile broadband option. This moniker has since
been discontinued, however, in favour of the operator once again offering services simply as Congo
Telecom.

Developing its fibre-optic backbone infrastructure soon became something of a priority for Congotel.
To that end, in October 2013 the telco confirmed it was continuing a nationwide rollout, and with
the country having been connected to the West African Cable System (WACS) in mid-2012, by the
latter half of 2013 Congotel claimed to have extended connectivity to Pointe-Noire, Brazzaville and
Oyo, while it is since understood to have reached several other locations, including Dolisie, Nkayi and
Madingou. In February 2018 Congotel was said to have completed a new 500km fibre-optic network
between Brazzaville and Pointe-Noire via Dolisie under the Projet de Couverture National (PCN).
At that date, the telco said the buried terrestrial link between the two cities had been completed and
tested, while confirming that the DWDM network was equipped at 200Gbps. This was the second
network to connect the two locations, with Congotel having also utilised the aerial fibre-optic network
of electricity company Energie Electrique du Congo (E2C, formerly Societe Nationale d’Electricite)
between Brazzaville and Pointe Noire since January 2013.

Congotel’s investment in fibre has, meanwhile, allowed it to roll out faster fixed broadband services
for consumers via the deployment of fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) technology. Having previously
marketed its fixed broadband offerings with a maximum downlink speed of 16Mbps, a brand refresh
conducted in December 2020 also saw the company revamp its range of fibre-based tariffs. Since
that date Congotel has been offering peak download speeds of 60Mbps via fibre at a monthly cost of
XAF45,000, while its entry-level service now offers speeds of 12Mbps for XAF25,000 per month. All
of the telco’s fixed broadband plans include an unlimited data allowance.

Notably the telco no longer makes reference to xDSL technology with regards to the provision of fixed
broadband services for residential users, and further suggesting the operator has moved to offering
fixed broadband connectivity only via fibre, all would-be customers are advised that a study will need
to be conducted of any site where a connection is required before installation can be undertaken.

In March 2017 it was revealed that Congotel had deployed a number of Wi-Fi hotspots in Brazzaville
that could be accessed without charge. With these access points offering downlink speeds of 1Mbps
to those in the vicinity, it was reported at the same time that a rollout of Wi-Fi infrastructure in
other cities was being considered, albeit that these deployments would be for a paid-for service, rather
than Congotel again providing free access. No further developments in this area had been reported as
at January 2022, however, while following its December 2020 brand refresh, Congotel’s website no

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longer mentions its provision of Wi-Fi access in public spaces.

Ownership

Congo Telecom (Congotel) is wholly owned by the state.

Airtel Congo
2nd Floor, SCI Monte Cristo Building
Rond-point de la Gare
Crossroads of Boulevard Denis Sassou N’guesso and l’avenue Orsy
BP 1038
Brazzaville
Congo, Rep.
https://www.airtel.cg

Mobile network operator (MNO) Airtel Congo offers mobile internet access via WiMAX technology
under a licence issued to it in October 2017; this concession is valid for five years and cost it around
USD260,000. However, WiMAX connectivity is offered only to business users, and with coverage
believed to be restricted to the capital, Brazzaville, and Pointe-Noire, pricing for the service is not
published on the operator’s website.

Meanwhile, the operator also markets a fixed internet service, again only to business users, though it
offers no specific details regarding the technology used to do so.

Ownership

Airtel Congo is 90% owned by Airtel Africa, which was listed on both the London Stock Exchange
(LSE) and Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) in June 2019 but remains a majority-owned subsidiary of
India’s Bharti Airtel.

MTN Congo
36 Avenue Amilcar Cabral
BP 1150
Brazzaville
Congo, Rep.
Tel. +242 06 9661100
https://www.mtn.cg

Alongside offering internet connectivity via the UMTS and LTE technologies deployed as part of
its mobile infrastructure rollout (see Mobile Operations for details), MTN Congo had previously
marketed a WiMAX-based offering. Offered under the ‘MTN Flow’ banner, this service had been
offerd on a pre-paid basis for customers in Brazzaville, Pointe-Noire, Dolisie, Nkayi, Oyo, Ouesso
and Pokola. However, the company’s website no longer mentions the service and it is assumed to
have been discontinued in favour of MTN offering mobile broadband connectivity over its 3G/4G
infrastructure.

Ownership

MTN Congo is wholly owned by South Africa’s MTN Group.

GVA Congo (Canalbox)

Immeuble SAGA
rue Kouanga Makosso
BP 616
Pointe-Noire
Congo, Rep.

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https://www.canalbox.cg

GVA Congo, part of Group Vivendi Africa, launched fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) services in selected
areas of Pointe-Noire in April 2019, before it announced the expansion of its infrastructure to parts of
the capital, Brazzaville, in April 2021. Services are offered under the Canalbox brand name.

At January 2022 the operator was marketing two broadband tariffs, with an entry-level offering
providing peak download speeds of 10Mbps and costing XAF25,000 per month, while the higher tier
offering boosts downlink rates to 50Mbps and the price to XAF45,000. Both plans are advertised as
providing an unlimited usage allowance.

Ownership

GVA Congo is part of Group Vivendi Africa, which is owned by Vivendi of France.

Global Broadband Solution (GBS, Congo Rep)

96 Avenue Charles de Gaulle
Plateau-ville
Brazzaville
Congo, Rep.
Tel. +242 01 2212208
http://www.gbs.cd/en/agence/brazzaville

Global Broadband Solution (GBS) is a Belgium-based broadband operator active in the Republic of
the Congo, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Botswana, which utilises fibre-optic, VSAT
and WiMAX technology.

GBS offers fibre-optic connectivity in the capital, Brazzaville, though it notes that the availability
of the service ‘depends on the location of the buildings to be connected’, while it says its network
offers downlink speeds of up to 1Gbps; it does not openly advertise pricing. Meanwhile, the operator’s
WiMAX-based connectivity, which is also understood to be available only in Brazzaville and
transmits in the 2.5GHz and 3.5GHz bands, offers potential download speeds of up to 512kbps.
Rounding out its service portfolio, GBS’ nationwide VSAT service is faster, with this understood to
provide maximum theoretical downstream speeds of 1Mbps.

Ownership

Although the exact ownership structure of Global Broadband Solution (GBS) is unknown,
shareholders are understood to include CEO Hassan Yafoufi, as well as Daniel Vanderstraete and
Bashir Mohamed.

32
Fixed Voice
Market Commentary
Congo Telecom (Congotel), formerly Societe des Telecommunications du Congo (SOTELCO), is the
incumbent provider of fixed voice services in the Republic of the Congo. Its network quality and the
provision of basic voice telephony services remains relatively poor, however, with a severe lack of
funding arguably having hampered repairs to a network decimated by the civil disturbances of the
1990s; a four-month civil war in 1997 saw the capital Brazzaville pounded by indiscriminate shelling
and bombing, which emptied it of practically its entire population and wreaked havoc with the already
basic communications network. According to the ITU, around 80% of the capital’s infrastructure was
destroyed during the conflict, meaning that by 1998, of a capacity of 13,000 transport pairs and 29,000
distribution pairs, just 3,500 in Brazzaville and 6,800 in Pointe-Noire were operational. Further, the
entire distribution component was destroyed and local networks in other towns were all but non-
existent.

The Office National des Postes et Telecommunications (ONPT), which preceded both Congotel and
SOTELCO, made a number of repairs and improvements to the infrastructure in Brazzaville, as well
as to systems in the country’s other major population centre, Pointe-Noire, utilising fixed and wireless
technologies supplied by ZTE of China. Congotel’s creation as the ONPT’s successor in 2003 was
expected to improve coverage, with the state harbouring grand plans to partly privatise the new
company and use the injection of funds to expand the PSTN nationwide. Progress proved slow though,
in no small part due to financial restrictions which brought Congotel close to insolvency in late 2007.
Indeed, having stopped wage payments to staff and suspended services at the Pointe-Noire exchange,
it was left to the state to come to the aid of the incumbent by raising capital funding for the telco via
the then Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications (MPT).

Congotel’s only real competitors for fixed line users are a handful of smaller operators offering IP-
based telephony services, and the number of fixed lines in service remains low, even by regional
standards. At the end of 2020 there were estimated to be around 17,650 fixed voice lines in use (PSTN
and VoIP combined), up only marginally year-on-year, and representing a household penetration rate
of less than 2%.

Networks
Provider Name Local Access Type Licence(s)

Congo Telecom (Congotel) Wireline Local, Long-distance, International

Congo Telecom (Congotel) WiLL Local, Long-distance, International

Annual Statistics by Operator

Reporting
Provider Name Type Period 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021

Congo Telecom Total Lines December 17,000 17,250 17,350 17,425 17,400 17,420
(Congotel) (PSTN)

Congo Telecom VoIP December 15 50 125 200 240

(Congotel) Subscriptions

Notes: company figures may not sum to country total due to variations in metrics reported by the
companies and on occasion unavoidable double-counting. Total Lines (PSTN) represents all lines in
service which the company owns (retail and wholesale), while Retail Lines (PSTN) and Local
Subscriptions (PSTN) represent the lines/subscriptions of the company's own service/brand (and as

33
such excludes wholesale services)

Annual Country Fixed Voice Growth

Total (PSTN + Total Total PSTN PSTN VoIP VoIP
Year VoIP) Growth Pen. Lines Pen. Subs Pen.

2016 17,065 0.1% 1.4% 17,000 1.4% 65 0.0%

2017 17,325 1.5% 1.4% 17,250 1.4% 75 0.0%

2018 17,460 0.8% 1.4% 17,350 1.4% 110 0.0%

2019 17,600 0.8% 1.4% 17,425 1.3% 175 0.0%

2020 17,650 0.3% 1.3% 17,400 1.3% 250 0.0%

2021 17,715 0.4% 1.3% 17,420 1.3% 295 0.0%

Fixed Voice Links

Main Players

Fixed Voice Growth

Sources: Congotel, ITU, estimates

Main Players
Congo Telecom (Congotel)
67 Boulevard Denis Sassou N’Guesso
Brazzaville 2027
Congo, Rep.
https://www.congotelecom.cg

Congo Telecom (Congotel), formerly known as Societe des Telecommunications du Congo

(SOTELCO), is the incumbent fixed line operator in the Republic of the Congo. It was formed as
a state-run, limited liability company in March 2003, and given ownership of the PSTN previously
operated by former regulator and one-time monopoly operator, the Office National des Postes et
Telecommunications (ONPT).

Despite inheriting a PSTN and WiLL network comprising three exchanges with switching capacity

34
for approximately 20,000 connections, two earth stations, two VSAT links, and a terrestrial fibre-
optic system, much of this infrastructure was either outdated or completely destroyed by civil
war. To address the situation, in September 2003 the telco inaugurated three earth stations in
Brazzaville, Pointe-Noire and Oyo, connected to Intelsat satellite systems, at a cost of XAF21 billion.
It subsequently upgraded its existing exchange in Pointe-Noire to boost capacity, added additional
capacity for 2,500 connections in Oyo, and rolled out WiLL technology and a new internet node to
augment coverage in Brazzaville.

Despite these positive developments, Congotel’s fortunes quickly declined, and plans by the state to
part-privatise the operator repeatedly failed, prompting a drastic cut in the workforce as it looked
to trim costs. By September 2004, the telco had confirmed a severe shortage of capital and put
all investments on hold. Arguing that its problems stemmed in part from the liberalisation of the
international gateway market, Congotel called on the government to reinstate its monopoly on
international connectivity, and its wish was duly granted in October 2004, when Decree No.2004-466
was issued (see Wireline Key Legislation). Despite the renewed monopoly, Congotel continued to
perform poorly, as a skeleton staff struggled to maintain its infrastructure with little to no investment.
Subsequently, the telco’s deteriorating fortunes were exacerbated in March 2008 with the repeal of
Decree No.2004-466, which revoked its monopoly on the international gateway and WiLL sectors.

By November 2007 Congotel was reported to be on the verge of insolvency, while labour disputes
saw services at the country’s second largest exchange, Pointe-Noire, grind to a halt, further reducing
turnover. The latter development prompted the then communications minister, Thierry Moungalla, to
outline a reorganisation plan aimed at rescuing the operator in January 2008, with recapitalisation via
public funding mooted as one option. Despite no official confirmation regarding how the money was
eventually raised, in August 2008 it was revealed that sufficient funds had been generated to bring the
Pointe-Noire exchange back online. Following this, in January 2009 Congotel began taking delivery
of equipment designed to improve and upgrade its network in the capital and surrounding regions.

With financial matters seemingly settled, the telco’s attention turned to rejuvenating its image and
attracting new subscribers. Key to this was a rebranding, with the operator from April 2014 offering
its services via a new retail brand, ‘Bisengo’. Having created a separate web presence for its
new product ranges, Congotel introduced triple-play bundles, comprising fixed voice, ADSL-based
broadband and pay-TV. However, the Bisengo moniker was soon discontinued, with a revamped web
presence for the company now only using the Congo Telecom name.

More recently, in December 2020 as part of a brand refresh, Congotel revamped its service offerings
fully, with one notable change being that as of January 2022 it was no longer advertising a previously-
offered fixed wireless telephony option, ‘Mema Fixed’; this service had carried an initial XAF15,000
set-up charge and was used on a pre-paid basis thereafter. Beyond this, meanwhile, Congotel had
also previously noted that it included free calls to other fixed line numbers on its network as part of
its fibre-based residential broadband plans, with these presumed to be offered via VoIP technology.
However, at the time of writing (January 2022) no mention was made of the inclusion of a fixed voice
element in Congotel’s current residential fixed broadband offerings, while the operator’s website also
notably no longer indicated that it offers standalone fixed voice lines for the residential sector.

Ownership

Congo Telecom (Congotel) is wholly owned by the state.

35
Country Directory
Regulators
Agence de Regulation des Postes et Communications (ARPCE)
91 Avenue de l'Amitie
BP2490
Brazzaville
Congo, Rep.
Tel. +242 05 5107272
https://www.arpce.cg

Ministry of Posts, Telecoms and the Digital Economy (MPTEN)

Boulevard Denis Sassou N’Guesso
BP 44
Brazzaville
Congo, Rep.
Tel. +242 22 6134099
https://postetelecom.gouv.cg

Service Providers
Airtel Congo
2nd Floor, SCI Monte Cristo Building
Rond-point de la Gare
Crossroads of Boulevard Denis Sassou N’guesso and l’avenue Orsy
BP 1038
Brazzaville
Congo, Rep.
https://www.airtel.cg

Congo Telecom (Congotel)

67 Boulevard Denis Sassou N’Guesso
Brazzaville 2027
Congo, Rep.
https://www.congotelecom.cg

Global Broadband Solution (GBS, Congo Rep)

96 Avenue Charles de Gaulle
Plateau-ville
Brazzaville
Congo, Rep.
Tel. +242 01 2212208
http://www.gbs.cd/en/agence/brazzaville

36
GVA Congo (Canalbox)
Immeuble SAGA
rue Kouanga Makosso
BP 616
Pointe-Noire
Congo, Rep.
https://www.canalbox.cg

MTN Congo
36 Avenue Amilcar Cabral
BP 1150
Brazzaville
Congo, Rep.
Tel. +242 06 9661100
https://www.mtn.cg

Last Updated: 31 January 2022

37
The content on the preceding pages is a section from TeleGeography's GlobalComms

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