The Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC’s) telecommunications regulator has accused MTN Group of illegally providing mobile and Internet services within the country.
The Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC’s) Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (ARPTC) has accused MTN Group of illegally providing mobile phone and Internet services within the country without holding an operating license.
MTN Group is accused of also providing these services in rebel-held areas in the DRC, such as Goma and Rutshuru.
ARPTC said in a statement that it had “well-documented” evidence and had referred the matter to unspecified national and international bodies, vowing to use “all legal means” to uphold the law and protect digital sovereignty.
ARPTC added that the unauthorized operation constitutes a violation of applicable laws and regulations and exposes the company involved to prosecution.
The statement came after the country’s Prime Minister Judith Suminwa Tuluka convened a meeting to address “digital intrusions and the unlawful use of Congolese frequencies by a foreign operator.”
Tuluka instructed the ARPTC to immediately take over the technical handling of the case and to refer it to relevant international bodies, under a zero-tolerance policy toward any violation of digital sovereignty.
MTN denies DRC operations
MTN Group provided comment to Connecting Africa on the matter, saying it had noted the statement by the ARPTC and respects its mandate and the sovereignty of the DRC.
“To confirm, MTN does not operate a mobile network in the Democratic Republic of Congo. We continue to engage all stakeholders through the appropriate channels on the issues raised,” the telco told Connecting Africa via email.
MTN Group logo on an outdoor sign.
MTN Group has denied claims that it is providing mobile and Internet services in the DRC. (Source: MTN Group)
MTN Group operates in several countries bordering the DRC; among them are Rwanda, Uganda, Zambia, South Sudan and the Republic of Congo, where it has deployed networks.
Signal spillover in border towns
Telecom operators can only deploy networks on radio frequencies granted by the state via the national regulator.
Issued for set timeframes and frequency bands, these tightly regulated licenses define operators’ technical and coverage obligations.
Although restricted to a national territory in principle, radio waves often spread beyond borders, leading to unintended signal spillover in frontier areas.
According to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), it is a fundamental challenge that radio frequency propagation does not adhere to national administrative borders, often causing signals to extend into neighboring territories.
These frequency spillovers can result in signal from neighboring operators being available inside a country’s borders, especially in frontier regions.
