(Ecofin Agency) - On February 2^nd , the Egyptian company Benya Capital and the Congolese Post and Telecommunications Company (SCPT) finalized the deal for the deployment of 16,000 km of optical fiber across the Democratic Republic of Congo. The document was inked during the visit of the Congolese President, Félix Tshisekedi to Egypt between 1^st -2^nd of February.

As a reminder, negotiations for this contract started several months ago and have already led to the signing by both parties of a memorandum of understanding covering the technical, financial and social aspects of the project.

The 16,000 km of optical fiber that will be deployed this year will materialize the desire of the Congolese Head of State to make digital technology a pillar of national development. At the Council of Ministers of October 16, 2020, he deplored the lack of systematic investment policy in telecom infrastructure as the cause of the country's digital backwardness.

The new broadband telecom infrastructure expected from Banya Capital will therefore contribute to improving the coverage of the national territory in high-speed connectivity, reducing the digital divide and strengthening the technical means needed for digital transformation.

Muriel Edjo