Kinshasa, February 18th, 2026 (CPA) – A call for support for the Democratic Republic of Congo’s candidacy to the Council of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) was launched Wednesday in Kinshasa, the country’s capital, by the Congolese Minister of Posts at the opening of the 10th Ordinary Session of the Regulators’ Conference. “(…) I would like to announce the candidacy of the Democratic Republic of Congo to the Council of the International Telecommunication Union. I ask for your support so that our region may be represented within this global decision-making body of our sector,” declared José Mpanda Kabangu, Minister in charge of Posts and Telecommunications, at the 10th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Central African Telecommunications Regulators (ARTAC). He encouraged participants to take an active part in the two-day conference held under the theme: “Sub-regional cooperation strategies for harmonized regulation of non-geostationary satellite (NGSO) telecommunications services.”
“Your reflections will be decisive for the future of our sub-network. I wish you fruitful deliberations and productive working moments in the city of Kinshasa,” he stated. Minister Mpanda noted that the chosen theme aligns perfectly with the vision of the President of the Republic as outlined in the Government’s 2024–2028 action program. This vision, he said, is based on achieving a digital nation by 2030. “It is a government project aimed at transforming our country, helping us modernize public services through governance, while diversifying our economy thanks to artificial intelligence,” Mr. Mpanda explained.
Furthermore, Minister José Mpanda indicated that regulators have a crucial role to play in harmonizing policies and networks, providing an ideal framework to guide strategies toward achieving the socio-economic objectives expected from telecommunications and emerging new technologies in this growth momentum. “It is now up to regulators to meet the upcoming challenges, particularly the regulation of non-geostationary satellites by offering highly anticipated connectivity while protecting our markets and our users,” he emphasized. He stressed that the assembly of regulators plays a crucial role in harmonizing policies. This approach centered on non-geostationary satellite technologies will help counterbalance telecommunications challenges and ensure sustainable development in Central Africa.
Information Technology, a Driver of Socio-Economic Development
Additionally, the Minister in charge of Posts and Telecommunications stated that information and communication technologies constitute a driver of growth and socio-economic development. With the support of its regulator, the DRC has achieved significant progress in telecommunications, notably by accelerating the deployment of national backbone networks.
“The deployment of optical fiber interconnects major cities, linking them to international submarine cables, making the DRC a digital transit corridor for its neighbors,” the Minister added.
He further noted that the effective implementation of the Universal Service Development Fund enables the financing of connectivity in the country’s least served areas, especially rural and peri-urban communities. Despite these advances, many major challenges remain, including reducing the digital divide, lowering the high cost of telecommunications services, improving service quality, and addressing cybersecurity issues.
In response to these challenges, the Minister of Posts urged participants to work together, exchange best practices, and mobilize the necessary and sufficient resources to address them.