The DRC wants to strengthen its international internet connectivity capabilities
May 5th 2026
Congolese authorities are increasing their investments in infrastructure to support their digital transformation ambitions. For example, the country is exploring the possibility of acquiring a telecommunications satellite.
The Congolese government intends to strengthen the country’s international connectivity. The initiative aims to anticipate the expected growth in data needs, driven by the rise of digital technologies, online services, and the digital economy. The initiative was unveiled this week by Augustin Kibassa Maliba, the Minister of Digital Economy, during a panel discussion on “Strategic Financing of Research and Innovation .” This took place within the framework of the High-Level Political Segment Forum on Education Sector Financing, held on Tuesday, April 28, in Kinshasa.
The authorities are considering two approaches. The first involves developing new connections to submarine cables to increase available capacity and reduce bandwidth costs. The second relies on strengthening terrestrial interconnections with better-served neighbouring countries, a faster solution to secure access to international connectivity.
A still limited and vulnerable dependence
Currently, the Democratic Republic of Congo relies primarily on two international submarine cables for access to the global internet. The country connected to the West Africa Cable System (WACS), its first such infrastructure, in 2013, which for a long time served as its main international gateway. However, recurring outages, which have intensified in recent years, have disrupted internet access. One of the most recent outages affected service quality for several weeks in early 2026.
The second cable, 2Africa, one of the world’s largest systems, landed on the Congolese coast in September 2023. It was commissioned in December 2025 by the operator Airtel DRC, with an initial capacity of 200 gigabytes per second (Gb/s). This infrastructure aims to significantly improve service quality and strengthen network redundancy mechanisms.
An initiative that is part of a sustained continental dynamic
The minister did not specify which cables were in question, nor which neighboring countries were affected. This statement, however, comes amid a surge in submarine cable projects in Africa. Among them, the Medusa system is attracting increasing interest. This project envisions a total capacity of 480 terabytes per second (Tb/s), based on 24 fiber pairs.
Originally designed to connect Mediterranean countries, it has been extended to Africa, with the ambition of improving digital access for hundreds of millions of people in 22 countries. Gabon, Cameroon, Guinea, and Equatorial Guinea are among the countries interested, with commissioning expected between 2028 and 2030. Furthermore, the DRC recently signed a $150 million partnership agreement with a Mauritian company, including the installation of a new international submarine cable.
Several neighboring countries already possess significant infrastructure. Angola has five submarine cables, the Republic of Congo operates two, while Tanzania has five. On a larger scale, regional hubs such as Nigeria (eight cables), Cameroon (five), and Kenya (seven, with two more under deployment) offer indirect connectivity options. However, this apparent diversity should be put into perspective. Several of these countries actually share certain infrastructures, which limits the true level of redundancy.
A key lever for digital inclusion and cost reduction
Strengthening capacity through submarine cables significantly increases available bandwidth and improves network resilience to meet the growing demand for high-speed connectivity for both current and future uses. Internet penetration in the DRC was estimated at 19.7% in 2024, according to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
Increased capacity is also associated with lower costs. In a report published in June 2025, the Foundation for Studies and Research on International Development (FERDI) indicates that doubling international capacity can lead to an immediate decrease of approximately 32% in the price of fixed broadband and up to 50% for mobile.
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