Congolese authorities are keen on bringing better connectivity, including the 5G that presents numerous opportunities to African economies, in a context where demand for digital services is booming. 

On Tuesday, June 6, telecom operator Orange announced the launch of the first test of its 5G network in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The country, which has been connected to Orange's fiber optic network since February, already benefits from superior bandwidth, which will certainly be multiplied with the advent of 5G.

By launching the tests for this new technology, "Orange is expressing its desire to offer its business and individual clients an ultra high-speed mobile Internet connection [...] to meet the ever-increasing need for connectivity,” Orange informed via a press release. 

Beyond improving connection speeds, the 5G network will facilitate the emergence of a huge IoT (Internet of Things) ecosystem, improving internet access for billions of connected objects thanks to a balanced compromise between speed, latency, and cost.

This improvement in responsiveness will also open up new prospects for users. These include the emergence of cloud gaming, enabling users to access gaming platforms directly on their smartphones with a smooth, enjoyable experience.

In the DRC, the introduction of 5G, combined with new technologies such as big data, AI, and augmented reality, aims to increase the telecoms sector's contribution to the country's economy. According to the telecom regulator’s mobile market observatory, this high-potential sector grew by 7.18% in the third quarter of 2022.

Samira Njoya