DR Congo Plans National Strategy to Expand Mobile Coverage in Underserved Areas

The Democratic Republic of Congo is developing a national strategy to expand mobile and broadband connectivity across underserved rural and peri-urban communities, where approximately 4.3 million people in nearly 3,000 localities remain without mobile coverage.

The connectivity gap was highlighted in a status assessment published by the Universal Service Development Fund (FDSU) on August 7. The assessment is expected to guide efforts to expand digital services and improve high-speed connectivity beyond the country’s major urban centres.

The report highlights significant disparities in network coverage across the country. Nationwide, 2G coverage stands at 77%, while 3G and 4G coverage reach 68% and 57%, respectively. Coverage is highest in Kinshasa at about 98%, compared with 14% in Tshuapa and 28% in both Kwango and Sud-Ubangi.

The FDSU is prioritising connectivity investments based on coverage gaps, population, economic activity, public infrastructure and geographic considerations. Three strategic routes have been identified for particular attention: the Lobito Corridor, National Corridor and Peace Corridor.

The proposed strategy also encourages greater sharing of passive telecommunications infrastructure, particularly through TowerCos. This approach could reduce network deployment costs and allow operators to focus more resources on active infrastructure, connectivity and digital services.

Internet access remains another challenge. Mobile internet penetration stood at 32.95% in 2025, with significant differences between provinces. Haut-Katanga, Lualaba and Kinshasa recorded higher penetration levels, while several rural provinces continued to lag behind.

Affordability is also limiting digital inclusion. International Telecommunication Union data cited in the assessment shows that a 5GB mobile data package costs about 18.8% of gross national income per capita in the DRC, compared with 4.8% in Tanzania, 4.1% in Kenya and 3.2% in Zambia.

Similar disparities are evident in mobile money adoption. About 46% of mobile subscribers have linked their phone numbers to mobile money accounts, but adoption ranges from 85.3% in Haut-Katanga and 77.2% in Lualaba to just 5.8% in Tshuapa and 4.7% in Bas-Uele.

The country’s vast territory, limited electricity access, fragmented backbone infrastructure and high costs of deploying networks in remote locations continue to complicate connectivity expansion. The proposed strategy therefore seeks to prioritise areas with the largest coverage gaps and where improved connectivity could generate significant economic and social benefits.

Over time, the initiative aims to narrow the digital divide between major cities and rural and peri-urban communities by expanding mobile broadband coverage and improving access to digital services.