DRC Explores Partnership with China for National Satellite Project
The Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications announced the signature of a memorandum of understanding with Unicom Airnet, a subsidiary of state-owned China Unicom. However, officials have not yet detailed the scope of the potential partnership or clarified whether this represents a shift away from existing commitments or a complementary approach.
Several reports suggest that this agreement may advance the country’s ambition to deploy a national telecommunications satellite, as authorities seek to engage China in leveraging its technological expertise.
Existing MonacoSat Partnership
This engagement with China follows earlier efforts with MonacoSat. The government signed a memorandum of understanding with the Monaco-based satellite operator in November 2024, covering “the deployment by the Democratic Republic of the Congo of a satellite telecommunications network through the acquisition of satellite capacity from MonacoSat.”
In August 2025, a MonacoSat delegation, led by representative Jean-Philippe Anvam, met with President Félix Tshisekedi to review the project’s progress. The partners specified several elements, including an acquisition cost estimated at USD 400 million, with financing already secured from a bank. Simultaneously, authorities hosted a delegation from Fidelity Bank Nigeria, which expressed readiness to support the satellite project financially as part of its planned expansion into the DRC.
Addressing the Digital Divide
The satellite project aims to address a substantial digital gap in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. According to DataReportal, 64.7 million cellular mobile connections were active in the country in late 2025, equivalent to 56.9% of the population. However, some of these connections may include only services such as voice and SMS, and others may not include internet access.
There were 34.7 million individuals using the internet in the DRC at the end of 2025, when online penetration stood at 30.5%. This represents a significant portion of the population, approximately 79.1 million people, remaining without internet access, highlighting the scale of the connectivity challenge facing the nation.
Satellite technology is increasingly favoured for its ability to provide near-universal coverage, including in remote areas that remain difficult and expensive for terrestrial networks to reach.
Strategic Investment Plans
The government has reiterated its intention to “mobilise all necessary partners to make digital technology a real driver of economic and social development,” aiming to invest USD 1.5 billion in the telecommunications sector by 2030.
If completed, the DRC’s satellite project could accelerate access to digital services nationwide, particularly in rural and remote areas where telecommunications infrastructure remains insufficient. The deployment would represent a significant step towards bridging the country’s persistent connectivity gap and enabling broader participation in the digital economy.
Part of this article was originally published by Ecofin Agency.