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\u2013 The complete opening of the telecommunications sector to competition\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
![\"Atterrissement\"](\"https:\/\/rdc.yearbook-media.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/elementor\/thumbs\/Atterrissement-e1708622042591-r3clzu9uo50bkut56xk0wczblopzh8lred7ceb8lio.jpg\" "\\"Landing\\"")
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\tSince 2017, the Democratic Republic of Congo has adopted a law that takes into account several fundamental options to make it possible to subject all operators in the sector to the same rules and to create a market that is both attractive and competitive.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t \t\t These include free competition and the end of monopolies, the withdrawal of the State from the commercial sector, the inclusion by a public institution of rural and peri-urban areas not interested by economic operators in the sector, the strengthening of the technical and administrative control powers of the Minister of the sector and the Regulatory Authority as well as the clarification of their powers, the placing of the Regulatory Authority under the supervision of the Minister of the sector. This law on telecommunications makes the Congolese market more attractive.<\/p>\n This law, containing 381 articles, details the protection of consumer rights for telecommunications services, privacy and personal data; strict regulation of signal cutting for security reasons; proportionality of sanctions to the offenses; the regulation of prices by precise rules without undermining the law of supply and demand; technological neutrality and the severe prevention and repression of fraud in the sector.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t \t\t Since 2020, demand for telecom services has continued to grow in the DRC, driven in particular by the Covid-19 pandemic. Telecommunications operators are increasing investments in their networks to meet demand and better compete.\u00a0<\/p>\n Telecommunications group Africell SA has requested additional frequency spectrum to improve the coverage of its telecoms network in the DRC. The group plans to double the size of its network, particularly in the eastern part of the country. The telecoms network expansion project in the hinterland is necessary given the increased competition in the Congolese telecoms market, driven by the growing demand for telecoms services generated by the pandemic. Since 2021, competitors Orange and Vodacom have invested in their networks, notably through the commissioning of a fiber optic network, the extension of service to rural areas, and the modernization of the network from 2G to 3G. In June 2022, Airtel Africa acquired additional frequencies for $42 million.<\/p>\n The four companies operating in the mobile telephony sector (Vodacom, Airtel, Orange and Africell) achieved a cumulative turnover for the first three quarters of 2022 of USD 1,523.6 million, according to figures provided by the ARPTC Cell Phone Market Observatory.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/rdc.yearbook-media.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Capture-decran-2024-02-20-165944-259x300.png\")
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