Kinshasa, April 28th, 2026 (CPA).- The connectivity is a necessity for economic exchange, has affirmed on Tuesday the interim president of the Francophone Network for Telecommunications Regulation (Fratel), during the opening ceremony of the 23rd seminar in Kinshasa, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). “Today, in all Fratel member countries, and indeed across the globe, connectivity must not be a luxury, but a necessity, as it determines access to economic exchanges and the simplification of procedures,” has declared Laure de la Raudiere, President of Arcep France and Acting President of Fratel for 2026. According to her, the connectivity also contributes to the improvement of public services, particularly in the fields of healthcare, through the development of telemedicine, and education, with the possibility of distance learning.
Ms de la Raudiere has explained that the connectivity helps to open up isolated areas. It also provides a means of exercising freedom of expression, stimulating creativity and sharing one’s ideas. “The development of physical infrastructure, which underpins these essential digital services and applications, remains vital,” she has indicated. In her view, “the infrastructure sharing constitutes an effective lever for accelerating roll-outs whilst avoiding inefficient duplication.
Fratel is not a body that imposes uniform frameworks, but a forum for exchange where everyone contributes their experience, innovations and solutions, whilst sharing the difficulties encountered in their implementation”. Referring to the choice of Kinshasa to host this conference, she has said that “the city is not an isolated place, but a global capital of rumba, driven by internationally renowned Congolese artists, such as the legendary and much-missed Franco Luambo, as well as the current phenomenon Fally Ipupa”. DRC, she has added, is also distinguished by the vastness of its territory and the richness of its natural and cultural heritage. Established in 2003 on the initiative of regulators driven by a shared desire for consultation, Fratel brings together a network of public stakeholders committed to building a modern, effective regulatory framework adapted to the challenges of the digital age.