• Free mobile roaming between Gabon and DRC expected to reduce costs for millions of travelers and businesses.

• Agreement supports regional trade, mobile financial services, and SME connectivity across Central Africa.

• Effective 30 June 2026, the deal marks a key milestone in ARTAC’s push for harmonized telecom policies and cross-border cooperation.

Gabon and the Democratic Republic of Congo have signed a mobile roaming agreement eliminating cross-border charges, on the sidelines of the 10th session of the Central African Telecommunications Regulators Conference (ARTAC) in Kinshasa.

The agreement, which will take effect on 30 June 2026, aims to facilitate affordable mobile usage across borders, reduce roaming costs, and enhance access to digital services. For businesses, particularly small and medium enterprises (SMEs), the pact is expected to lower communication expenses, streamline cross-border operations, and improve engagement in regional trade and mobile-based financial services.

Christian Katende, president of the Regulatory Authority for Posts and Telecommunications of the Congo (ARPTC), said the deal “aims to improve user mobility and reduce the cost of communications in the perspective of more integrated interconnection.” Gabon’s Regulatory Authority for Electronic Communications and Posts (ARCEP) said the agreement would allow users to make calls, send SMS and access the internet at local or significantly reduced rates without changing SIM cards when travelling between the two countries.

The ARTAC session, held in Kinshasa from 16-19 February 2026, also addressed satellite connectivity, cybersecurity, digital financial services and regulatory harmonization among member states namely Cameroon, Gabon, Congo, Central African Republic, Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Chad and Equatorial Guinea. Delegates adopted recommendations on non-geostationary satellite operations, mobile money security and infrastructure development, and revised ARTAC’s institutional framework to extend governance continuity through 2027.

By Cynthia Ebot Takang