The telecommunications sector in the Republic of Congo is welcoming a new arrival with the announcement that Brazzaville-headquartered and state-owned operator Congo Telecom, known mainly for fixed services, has entered the mobile market.
According to Agence Ecofin, the Congolese Minister of Posts, Telecommunications and Digital Economy, Léon Juste Ibombo, announced the official launch of Congo Telecom’s mobile phone network on Monday, 23 December. Test calls with the two existing players in the mobile market, MTN Congo and Airtel Congo, have apparently proven successful.
This initiative, the company suggests, should enable it to diversify its activities and sources of revenue. Since its creation in 2003, the company has consolidated its presence in the fixed telephony and optical fibre sectors. This diversification, therefore, is described as a strategic step to expand its footprint in the national market.
The initiative is also part of Congo Telecom’s ambition to become the leading digital operator in the Republic of Congo and a major player in Central Africa by 2030.
To achieve this goal, says Agence Ecofin, the company has implemented a four-year strategic plan focused on eight pillars: offers, customer experience, brand image, cost optimisation, corporate culture, human capital, technologies and networks, as well as the ecosystem and partnerships.
It’s an ambitious aim, given the present state of the mobile market in which MTN and Airtel are well established. According to Congo’s Regulatory Agency for Posts and Electronic Communications (ARPCE), MTN controlled 60% of the market share in October 2023, compared to 40% for Airtel. The population of the country is estimated at around 6.4 million.
