• Congo regulator says MTN signals detected in Goma and Rutshuru
• Authorities cite illegal use of frequencies and digital sovereignty risks
• Case highlights broader cross-border spectrum management challenges

Authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo have accused MTN Group of illegally providing mobile and internet services within national territory. In a statement issued February 11, the telecom regulator cited the cities of Goma and Rutshuru, near the Rwandan border, where MTN operates. The allegation has renewed attention on the sensitive issue of frequency control in Africa’s border regions.

The Congo Post and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (ARPTC) said the alleged activity violates national laws and regulations and could expose the company to legal action. The regulator said it has referred the matter to relevant national and international bodies and will pursue all available legal channels to protect the country’s digital sovereignty.

On February 10, Prime Minister Judith Suminwa Tuluka convened a meeting on what officials described as “digital intrusion and the illegal use of Congolese frequencies by a foreign operator.” The meeting included the minister of Posts and Telecommunications, the head of the ARPTC, and executives from Airtel, Orange, and Vodacom. At its conclusion, the ARPTC was instructed to handle the case on technical grounds and to notify competent international authorities, with a stated[ policy of zero tolerance for breaches of digital sovereignty.

MTN Group has not yet issued a public response. The South African telecom company operates in neighboring countries including Rwanda, Uganda, Zambia, South Sudan, and Congo.

Signal spillover and regulatory challenges at borders

Telecom operators deploy networks using radio frequencies allocated by national regulators. These scarce and strategic resources underpin mobile and internet services.

Licenses define the duration, frequency bands, coverage areas, and technical conditions for their use. In principle, their operation is confined to national territory. In practice, especially in border areas, radio signals can naturally extend beyond administrative boundaries.

According to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), radio frequency propagation does not respect state borders, creating challenges for joint spectrum management. Signal spillover can allow operators based in one country to provide services in border areas of another. Even without an official presence, consumers may connect to networks across the border, creating informal service ecosystems where agents sell SIM cards and related services.

A similar situation arose between Cameroon and Chad in the early 2000s. In October 2002, Chad’s telecom regulator accused Cameroon-based operators MTN and Orange in Kousséri of unfair competition, alleging that low-cost phones and SIM cards were flooding the N’Djamena market and undermining local operators CELTEL and LIBERTIS. After years of exchanges and ITU involvement, a coordination agreement was signed in September 2009 in Maroua to regulate cross-border frequencies.

Growing push for frequency coordination in Africa

A continent-wide agreement on cross-border frequency coordination, signed by 54 African countries under ITU auspices, was adopted in January 2022. The framework aims to prevent harmful interference in fixed and mobile terrestrial services and optimize spectrum use through bilateral or multilateral arrangements.

Since then, coordination mechanisms have expanded. In August 2025, Congolese and Angolan delegations met to harmonize frequency use along their shared border. They set coordination parameters for seven bands between 700 MHz and 3500 MHz and adopted binding measures, including limiting coverage to 1,000 meters beyond borders, banning omnidirectional antennas in border zones, and dismantling unauthorized sales points.

The trend extends beyond the Congo–Angola corridor. In August 2025, Gabon and Cameroon signed a similar agreement. Congo concluded arrangements with the DRC in 2021 and with Gabon in 2023, and discussions are underway with Cameroon. Other recent initiatives include a bilateral meeting between Chad and Cameroon in June 2025 and a tripartite agreement announced in August 2024 among Cameroon, Gabon, and Equatorial Guinea.

In West Africa, member states of the Alliance of Sahel States signed a border frequency coordination agreement in November 2025. The accord establishes mechanisms to prevent interference within a 15-kilometer zone on either side of national borders. Similar initiatives have been launched between Togo and Ghana, Ghana and Burkina Faso, and Nigeria and Niger.

Isaac K. Kassouwi