• The Democratic Republic of Congo and Gabon signed a memorandum of understanding on Feb. 19 to develop mobile roaming between their territories.
• The regulators ARPTC and ARCEP initialed the protocol during the 10th Ordinary Session of the Conference of Regulators in Kinshasa.
• Authorities have not disclosed an implementation timeline, as operators will need to negotiate technical and tariff adjustments.

The Democratic Republic of Congo and Gabon plan to develop mobile roaming services across their territories. The Agence congolaise de presse (ACP) reported that the two countries signed a memorandum of understanding on Thursday, Feb. 19, on the sidelines of the 10th Ordinary Session of the Conference of Regulators held in Kinshasa.

The agreement aims to allow users to access mobile services—including calls, SMS and internet—in the partner country through a host network without changing their phone numbers. ACP reported that Christian Katende, president of the Congo Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (ARPTC), said the cooperation seeks to improve user mobility and reduce the cost of cross-border communications, with a view to achieving more integrated interconnection between populations.

Regulatory officials from both countries initialed the protocol. ARPTC signed on behalf of the Congolese side, while the Electronic Communications and Postal Regulatory Authority (ARCEP) signed on behalf of Gabon, according to information relayed by Congolese media outlets.

However, authorities have not announced a public timeline for operational implementation. Reduced-cost roaming typically requires operators to negotiate technical interoperability and revise wholesale and retail tariffs. Parties may lower roaming fees or introduce harmonized pricing grids, depending on the model they adopt.

Moreover, the initiative aligns with a broader sub-regional push. In Central Africa, the Communauté économique et monétaire de l'Afrique centrale (CEMAC) relaunched its “free roaming” agenda in March 2025 and urged member states to remove obstacles to its operational rollout, although modalities and timelines vary across countries and operators.

Ronsard Luabeya (Bankable)