19 January 2026
Telecommunications networks across the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have been experiencing outages for several days, according to the sector regulator, ARPTC.
The disruptions are attributed to a widespread technical failure affecting the West Africa Cable System (WACS), a key submarine fiber optic cable that connects Europe to Africa and carries a significant portion of DRC’s internet traffic.
ARPTC has announced that maintenance efforts are underway to restore services swiftly and is collaborating with telecom operators to implement measures in line with regulations on force majeure, aiming to support affected subscribers during this period.
This incident follows recent governmental concerns about the declining quality of telecom services in the country. President Félix Tshisekedi has called on authorities to address these recurring disruptions and has specifically mentioned the need for sanctions against operators responsible for network instability.
The outage underscores vulnerabilities in the DRC’s digital infrastructure amid ongoing efforts to leverage ICT for socio-economic development. The country relies on two major international submarine cables—WACS and the more recent 2Africa, which became operational in late 2025 after landing in September 2023—to access global internet. Additionally, the DRC has terrestrial links with Uganda via Lake Albert and has recently entered into a $150 million partnership to install a new international submarine cable, aiming to diversify and strengthen connectivity.
The current outage echoes earlier events in March 2024, when multiple submarine cable failures caused near-total blackouts in several African nations. Experts continue to advocate for diversifying cable routes and increasing satellite-based solutions to improve resilience. The GSMA supports satellite connectivity as a vital backup during terrestrial or submarine cable failures. For example, Zimbabwe, lacking direct submarine cable access, is exploring partnerships with low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite providers.
In line with these strategies, the DRC is also working on developing its own telecommunications satellite to enhance national connectivity resilience and reduce dependence on external infrastructure. This incident highlights the critical importance of diversifying connectivity options to safeguard against future disruptions and ensure continuous access to digital services.
