Overview
Phone saturation in the Republic of the Congo is strong, but supporting infrastructure, particularly for data communications, is lagging. Internet penetration is extremely low, and costs are high, providing significant room for competition and growth in that sector. Low incomes prevent many from owning personal computers and internet service, but cyber cafes and wi-fi are increasingly available. South Africa’s MTN, India’s Airtel, and Congo Telecommunications are the only actors in the sector.
Telecommunication Market Size
| 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 estimated | |
| Total Local Production | 36 | 52 | 43 | 41 |
| Total Exports | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Total Imports | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Imports from the US | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Total Market Size | 36 | 52 | 43 | 41 |
| Exchange Rates |
(Total market size = (total local production + imports) - exports)
Units: Millions of US Dollars
Source: ARPCE (Agence de Régulation des Postes et Communication Electronique)
Leading Sub-Sectors
Infrastructure support and management; broadband internet services.
Opportunities
Most businesses and government offices lack a web presence. Government officials in particular use Yahoo and Hotmail accounts for their email access, lacking a specific government or ministry domain. The Republic of the Congo recently gained “.cg” URLs. The government has been working on eGovernment strategy to put in place government wide internet portal.