The Democratic Republic of Congo is developing a national strategy to expand mobile and broadband connectivity in underserved rural and peri-urban communities, with approximately 4.3 million people across nearly 3,000 localities still without mobile coverage.
The connectivity gap, highlighted in a recent assessment by the Universal Service Development Fund (FDSU), shows significant differences in network access across the country. Nationwide, 2G coverage stands at 77%, while 3G and 4G coverage reach 68% and 57%, respectively.
Kinshasa has the highest coverage at about 98%, while provinces such as Tshuapa, Kwango and Sud-Ubangi continue to record much lower levels. The proposed strategy will prioritise investments based on coverage gaps, population, economic activity, public infrastructure and geographic considerations.
The FDSU has identified the Lobito Corridor, National Corridor and Peace Corridor as strategic routes for connectivity investment. The strategy also promotes greater sharing of passive telecommunications infrastructure, including through TowerCos, to reduce deployment costs and improve network expansion.
Internet affordability remains another barrier to digital inclusion. Mobile internet penetration stood at 32.95% in 2025, while a 5GB mobile data package costs approximately 18.8% of gross national income per capita, significantly higher than in countries such as Tanzania, Kenya and Zambia.
The strategy is ultimately aimed at narrowing the digital divide between major urban centres and underserved communities by expanding broadband coverage, improving affordability and enabling greater access to digital services across the DRC.
