• BII manages an $8 billion portfolio and invests about $1 billion a year in high-impact projects.

• DRC needs 50,000 km of fibre and 30,000 telecom towers but has only 4,000 km and 5,150 towers.

• The government plans $1 billion in public spending plus $500 million in external support under its 2026–2030 digital strategy.

The Democratic Republic of Congo continues to seek new financing channels to accelerate its digital infrastructure rollout. The Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications received a delegation this week from British International Investment (BII), which came to assess the government’s priorities in the telecommunications sector. The government positions digital development as a driver of socio-economic growth, although roughly 70% of the population lacked Internet access in 2023, according to ITU data.

Christopher Chijiutomi, BII’s Managing Director and Head of Africa, told Scoop RDC that the institution manages an $8 billion portfolio and invests about $1 billion annually in projects with strong socio-economic impact.

Minister José Mpanda Kabangu said the country faces a significant digital divide. “Our country is vast but it is not well connected. There is a digital divide. We have 145 territories that are not connected and that call for investments, and our doors are open to private investors,” he said. He added that the DRC operates only 4,000 km of fibre, far below the 50,000 km required, and 5,150 telecom towers compared to a target of at least 30,000.

The meeting comes after several major announcements. In October 2025, the DRC concluded a $150 million agreement with Mauritius-based United Investment LMT (UIL) to deploy up to 80,000 km of fibre, install a submarine cable and build three data centres. In September, U.S.-based Unity Development Fund expressed interest in investing in the Congolese digital sector. In August, Nigeria’s Fidelity Bank signalled its willingness to finance the national telecom satellite project. In February, the government signed a $1 billion agreement with India’s General Technologies.

The government anchors digital infrastructure as one of the four pillars of the National Digital Plan 2026–2030 (PNN2), launched in October 2025. The strategy aims to position the DRC as a regional digital hub. The government plans to invest $1 billion in public funds over five years, in addition to $500 million in external support already mobilised from international partners.

Digital infrastructure remains essential to ensure telecom access. In 2023, 2G, 3G and 4G networks covered 75%, 55% and 45% of the population respectively. Mobile penetration reached 55%, while Internet penetration stood at 30.5%. GSMA reported that 40 million Congolese did not use mobile Internet at all that year.

Closing the digital divide has become a priority as the government views digital services as a development catalyst. The executive intends to digitalise all public services and extend digital applications across economic sectors. GSMA estimates that continued digitalisation could add about $4.1 billion to the Congolese economy by 2029.

This article was initially published in French by Isaac K. Kassouwi

Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum