Congo: MTN and Airtel have six months to improve the quality of their services
April 15th 2026
Service quality is one of the recurring problems in the African telecoms market. While subscribers constantly complain, governments are trying to increase pressure on operators.
The Congolese telecommunications regulator has issued a formal notice to Airtel and MTN for consistently inadequate service quality. The two mobile operators now have six months to correct the identified deficiencies and comply with current regulatory requirements.
This decision, revealed last week, is the culmination of a service quality assessment campaign conducted from February 6 to 23, 2026, by the Postal and Electronic Communications Regulatory Agency (ARPCE). A total of 20 localities across the country were covered, from Kouilou to Likouala, including Niari, Bouenza, Sangha, and Plateaux. The analysis focused on 2G, 3G, and 4G networks, for both voice services and mobile internet access.
The measurements were based on a series of precise technical indicators, including call setup rates, sound quality, connection time, internet speeds, and mobile signal continuity. Each of these parameters is governed by regulatory thresholds set by the ARPCE (French Regulatory Authority for Electronic Communications and Posts). A color-coded rating system then allows for comparison of performance from one semester to the next and clearly identifies areas where coverage and quality obligations are not met.
Contrasting differences between regions and technologies
The results of this campaign highlight significant disparities across regions and technologies. In the south of the country, service quality appears generally more satisfactory, particularly on 3G networks where MTN and Airtel demonstrate solid performance, with MTN holding a slight advantage. Conversely, 2G, while still widely used in rural and remote areas, remains more unreliable for both operators.
The situation is more mixed regarding 4G. Progress has been made, mainly driven by MTN, which has extended its coverage to several areas previously unserved by mobile broadband. Airtel, on the other hand, is lagging significantly behind, with several areas still lacking 4G, thus limiting access to more advanced digital services in these regions.
Conversely, in the northern part of the country, the situation is considerably more concerning. Performance there is generally poor, particularly in 2G where both operators recorded critical results in the majority of the areas assessed. In 3G, MTN manages to maintain acceptable performance levels in some cities, while Airtel shows marked deficiencies, with several areas falling below regulatory thresholds.
The regulator emphasizes, however, that these poor performances are partly due to structural constraints. Airtel highlights its total dependence on Congo Telecom’s fiber optic network for routing traffic from the northern areas to the rest of the network. The numerous outages of this infrastructure, essential for transporting data between the various nodes, have severely disrupted service quality. Forced to operate on a backup backbone with more limited capacity, the operator has seen its performance degrade significantly.
Possible sanctions in view
According to ARPCE, this formal notice sets a clear deadline. It adds that the next assessment campaign will serve as the “verdict.” This suggests the possibility of coercive measures against non-compliant operators should they fail to improve.
While the regulator has not specified the precise measures under consideration, the existing legal framework provides it with a range of tools. The procedure initially involves a formal notice, followed, in the event of persistent non-compliance, by a penalty of up to 1% of the previous year’s revenue. For example, MTN Congo could face a penalty estimated at 47.6 million rand (US$2.9 million), based on projected revenue of 4.76 billion rand in 2025. This amount can be doubled in the event of a repeat offense.
Finally, the law provides for more severe measures if the breaches persist despite warnings. The supervising minister can then reduce the duration of the operator’s license, suspend it temporarily, or revoke it permanently.
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