(Ecofin Agency) - On October 18, 2018, Léon Juste Ibombo, Congo’s minister of posts and telecommunications, received Ma Fulin, China’s ambassador to Congo, in audience. At the end of this work visit, the ambassador declared that they discussed the finalization of the third phase of the "couveture nationale en telecommunications", a project that will help develop telecommunication infrastructures supported by a backbone optical fiber around the country once completed.

Once deployed, the infrastructures "will boost the capacities of the incumbent operator Congo-Telecom, in reducing the costs for households’ connection to optic fiber”, Ma Fulin said. Connected to the sub-regional optic fiber deployed in the framework of the Central Africa Backbone (CAB), the network created by the infrastructures should help boost the country’s data capacities.

Ma Fulin also indicated that apart from construction of a telecom infrastructure, the partnership between Congo and China will also be useful for the training of young people in the digital sector. He explained that investment in human capital was the best way to prepare African economies to the fourth industrial revolution led by technology.