The digital divide remains one of the major challenges in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Despite progress in infrastructure, half of the country remains on the fringes of the connected world. According to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), 55% of the Congolese population was still not covered by 4G in 2024, while about 80% did not use the Internet. In this context, the announcement of a vast network expansion program by Helios Towers could mark a turning point in the fight against digital exclusion.
On March 31, 2026, the British telecom tower operator formalized an investment plan of nearly $100 million to expand its network coverage across the DRC. This project is being carried out in partnership with the National Agency for Investment Promotion (ANAPI), which will support the company throughout the process, from project design to execution.
According to the joint press release, the program will cover 23 provinces, including Kinshasa, Haut-Katanga, Kongo Central, Maniema, Ituri, North and South Kivu, Kasai Central and Oriental, Lualaba, Tanganyika, as well as several northwestern provinces such as Équateur and Haut-Uélé. The stated goal is clear: to extend mobile and Internet coverage to underserved areas, where the lack of infrastructure is a major obstacle to economic and social development.
An Initiative Serving Digital Transformation
This program is part of the government’s strategy to reduce the digital divide and accelerate the country’s digital transformation. In 2024, according to the ITU, 2G, 3G, and 4G networks covered 75%, 55%, and 45% of the population respectively, with mobile penetration limited to 44.3% and effective Internet use at only 19.7%. These figures reflect both the weakness of the infrastructure and the high cost of accessing digital services.
Helios Towers, already active in sub-Saharan Africa (Tanzania, Ghana, Madagascar, Senegal, etc.), relies on a model based on infrastructure sharing. The company builds, acquires, and operates shared telecommunications towers: multiple mobile operators install their antennas and equipment on them, which reduces costs, accelerates deployments, and lessens environmental impacts. This concept, still relatively new in the DRC, is backed by a comprehensive offering of site energy management, security, and maintenance.
« Our infrastructure-sharing model allows operators to expand their networks faster and at a lower cost, while reducing emissions, » explains Helios Towers on its official website. The company asserts its desire to actively contribute to the digital inclusion of millions of Congolese people.
Expected Effects on Coverage and Service Quality
Technically, this network reinforcement should improve both the availability and quality of connectivity. By extending coverage to rural areas currently devoid of any service, Helios Towers will allow new communities to access telephony or the Internet for the first time. In areas that are already served, network densification will reduce congestion, improve signal stability, and make the user experience smoother.
In the medium term, this expansion could also stimulate economic activity, particularly in the fields of agriculture, education, and mobile financial services. In the DRC, where over 60% of the population lives in rural areas, access to connectivity remains a crucial lever for banking, training, and job creation.
A Model Supported by Public Strategy
Helios Towers’ approach aligns with the orientations of the Universal Service Development Fund (FDSU) for the 2026-2035 period. Dubbed « TowerCo Lead, » this strategy relies on collaboration between the public sector and tower companies, designated as lead entities to deploy passive infrastructure—towers, power, backhaul—in open access. Mobile operators, on the other hand, focus on the active part (antennas and transmission equipment).
This model offers a twofold advantage: it reduces the costly duplication of infrastructure and enables faster coverage of remote areas. Through this mechanism, the government aims to connect approximately 68 million people by 2035, prioritizing rural areas where traditional operators invest little due to a lack of immediate profitability.
The Persistent Challenges of Universal Coverage
Despite these advances, the coverage gaps remain immense. The GSMA (Global System for Mobile Communications Association) ranks the DRC among the countries with one of the largest « coverage gaps » in the world: 46% of the population still lacks access to mobile broadband, and about 25% remain outside any network, even basic ones.
The challenge is partly due to the country’s geography—vast, sparsely populated, and characterized by hard-to-reach areas—but also to the exponential cost of the last mile of connectivity. According to the GSMA:
- Increasing coverage from 75% to 80% of the population requires about 150 new sites.
- Reaching 95% demands nearly 5,700 additional towers.
- Crossing the 99% threshold would require over 2,000 new sites.
These figures illustrate the economic and technical complexity of deployment in the most remote areas of the territory.
A Strategic Issue for Digital Sovereignty
For the DRC, investing in telecom infrastructure means investing in national digital sovereignty. Connectivity is no longer just a service, but a condition for economic integration, education, and governance. By supporting Helios Towers, Congolese authorities hope to attract more investors to the digital sector and accelerate the adoption of digital services throughout society.
The initiative also falls under the « Horizon 2030 » government program, which aims to make digital technology a driver of inclusive growth. The public-private partnership around infrastructure, the modernization of the regulatory framework, and the tax incentives offered by ANAPI are all part of this overarching vision.
If this expansion plan materializes, it could not only narrow the digital divide but also sustainably transform the Congolese telecom landscape, bringing the country closer to its goal of universal and equitable access to the Internet by 2035.
