• DR Congo warns telecom operators over service quality failures

• Tshisekedi orders sanctions, tighter regulation and monitoring within 30 days

• Network disruptions harming economy, banking and digital public services

Mobile phone companies in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) face potential sanctions for failing to meet current service quality requirements. During a Council of Ministers meeting on Friday, Jan. 9, President Felix Tshisekedi instructed authorities in charge of the sector to take necessary measures to stop recurring disruptions affecting telecommunications networks and systems across the national territory.

The head of state demanded the application, without weakness or complacency, of sanctions provided by laws and regulations against any failing operator whenever obligations regarding quality, continuity, coverage, or user protection are not respected. He also requested the strengthening of regulation, control, and permanent monitoring mechanisms for network and service quality, as well as effective coordination between sectoral ministries, regulatory authorities, and specialized technical services. A detailed report is expected within 30 days.

The identified disruptions involve mobile and fixed telephony, the internet, data transmission, digital services, network interconnection, as well as radio and digital television broadcasting. These persistent failures seriously affect the daily lives of citizens, the continuity of public action, and the functioning of the national economy, according to the minutes of the Council of Ministers. The report noted that these issues lead to communication breakdowns, disruptions in banking and commercial transactions, and a notable degradation of radio and digital television services.

In late December, the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications, Jose Mpanda Kabangu, challenged operators Orange, Airtel, and Vodacom following user complaints denouncing unstable networks, dropped calls, and limited internet access in the Sankuru province. In September, shortly after his appointment, the minister had already identified several malfunctions on a national scale. These included frequent outages, network saturation, credit losses deemed unjustified, and failed mobile money transactions that were nonetheless billed. Consumers regularly complain about these problems on social media.

The pressure placed on telecommunications operators occurs in a context where Congolese authorities have made digital technology a lever for socio-economic development. They believe it is imperative to have reliable, high-performance, resilient, and continuous networks operating in an environment of fair competition, equitable coverage of the territory, and strict consumer protection. Consumers need these services, for example, to access dematerialized public services put online by the authorities.

Potential sanctions against contravening operators have not yet been specified. However, the 2020 law on telecommunications and ICT stipulates that any violation of one or more clauses of the license, the authorization, or the attached specifications that does not result in the suspension or withdrawal of the title is punishable by a fine not exceeding one-quarter of the title.

Isaac K. Kassouwi