DRC: Mobile internet is becoming the main source of revenue for telecoms
May 18th 2026
The telecommunications sector in the DRC is undergoing a phase of rapid transformation, driven by the rise of mobile internet and digital services. This evolution reflects a slowdown in voice and SMS usage in favor of data consumption.
The telecommunications market in the DRC continues its transformation towards digital services. By 2025, revenues generated by mobile internet exceeded half of the sector’s total turnover, confirming the gradual shift of operators’ business model towards data.
According to data from the Congolese Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (ARPTC), the sector’s overall revenue reached $2.394 billion in 2025, compared to $1.287 billion for mobile internet services alone. Data thus represents approximately 53.8% of market revenue, compared to nearly 14% in 2016.
This development is also noted by BDO DRC, which emphasizes, in its sector note published in May 2026, that data now constitutes the main driver of growth in the Congolese telecom sector.
The ARPTC’s fourth quarter 2025 report confirms this transformation in usage. Traditional services, such as voice and SMS, are declining, while consumers are increasingly using multimedia content, messaging apps, streaming, and digital services.
Average data consumption per subscriber has increased significantly. According to BDO DRC, it has multiplied by more than 24 between 2016 and 2025, due to the spread of smartphones, improved connectivity and the development of digital applications.
Airtel, still the leader
In the mobile internet revenue segment, Airtel leads with a 43.02% market share in the fourth quarter of 2025, ahead of Orange with 28.44%, Vodacom with 24.63%, and Africell with 3.91%. The regulator attributes this performance to the attractiveness of Airtel’s plans, the robustness of its infrastructure, and one of the most robust 4G deployments in the country. It also cites a strategy aimed at facilitating business access to data services.
But this growth in mobile internet comes with a significant challenge: service quality. The ARPTC has noted a decline in service experienced by subscribers of all operators for several quarters now. This problem is becoming more acute as digital usage increases.
Beyond revenue, the growth of mobile internet is part of a broader digital transformation. The DRC had 73.9 million active mobile subscriptions at the end of 2025, representing an overall penetration rate of 65.9%. Mobile internet penetration reached 33%.
Mobile money is also continuing its growth. The ARPTC reports 34.3 million active mobile money subscriptions in the fourth quarter of 2025, representing a penetration rate of 30.6%. This trend confirms the increasing integration of telecommunications into digital financial services.
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