THE Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has embarked on an ambitious €66.55 million ($72.5 million) fibre optic cable project, aiming to establish the nation as a digital hub in Central Africa. This initiative is set to significantly enhance Internet penetration across the DRC.
A key component of the plan involves the construction of a state-of-the-art National Data Centre in Brazzaville, alongside the installation of 600 kilometres of fibre optic cable to connect the DRC with neighbouring Cameroon and the Central African Republic. The project is scheduled for completion by December 2024.
The new data centre will be equipped with advanced server rooms, monitoring facilities, and energy-efficient systems. It is expected to support data hosting services for both public and private sectors, including telecom operators, banks, and insurance companies.
The African Development Bank (AfDB) is contributing €52.47 million towards the project, while the Congolese government will fund the remaining €14.50 million.
Michel Ngakala, the coordinator of the Central Africa Fibre-Optic Backbone project, emphasised the significance of this development: ‘Congo will soon be the only country in Central Africa with its own data centre. Our data and communications won’t need to go through servers in Europe or America anymore. Everything will be managed locally.’
This major investment marks a significant step forward for the DRC in its quest to become a central player in the region’s digital economy, providing a robust infrastructure that supports technological growth and connectivity.
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