Orange And Vodacom Partner To Connect Rural DRC

Orange and Vodacom have joined hands to form, a first of its kind, rural towerco partnership in Africa.

The two companies will now collaborate to build, own, and operate solar-powered mobile base stations in underserved areas of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The initiative will extend network coverage and enable access to telecommunications and mobile financial services to up to 19 million people in less densely populated rural communities.

The deep rural areas of DRC are continuously challenged when it comes to deploying and operating networks. To bridge this digital divide, the companies have pledged to jointly construct up to 2,000 new solar-powered base stations over six years, using 2G and 4G technologies.

This agreement commences with an initial commitment of 1,000 sites after which Orange and Vodacom may scale the project by a further 1,000 towers. The completion of this joint venture remains subject to the approval of administrative, regulatory, and competition authorities.

Beyond enhanced population coverage, this combined investment will also enable consumers to access voice, data, and mobile money services. With the first base station expected to start operating in 2025, Orange and Vodacom will be sharing active and passive equipment owned by the joint venture as anchor tenants for an initial term of 20 years. The joint venture will offer its passive infrastructure to any MNO interested wherever technically feasible to increase usage and promote a wider range of options for the population.

“With a footprint serving over 210 million customers across Africa, we have the opportunity to significantly contribute to the continent’s socio-economic development by building a digital society and fostering inclusivity for all. This aligns with our purpose to connect for a better future, and our partnership with Orange is a crucial step towards providing mobile coverage to people in previously underserved areas in the DRC,” says Shameel Joosub, CEO of Vodacom Group.

Speaking on his part, Jérôme Hénique, the Orange Middle East and Africa CEO, said that the company’s longstanding presence in Africa gives them a deep understanding of the market and customer needs. Orange has had over 10 years presence in the DRC.

“Collaborating with Vodacom by sharing both passive and active infrastructure is the most effective approach to fulfilling our commitment to accelerating connectivity access for everyone, including rural areas, while minimizing our environmental footprint,” said Hénique.

Mobile Internet penetration in the DRC is at 32.3 percent and Orange and Vodacom’s announcement to construct new base stations in the country aligns with the country’s new vision for the digital economy as included in the National Digital Plan Horizon 2025 adopted in 2019.

The plan aims to foster digital transformation across various sectors, leading to improved public services, enhanced economic growth, and equitable access to digital services for all citizens. This initiative emphasizes e-citizenship, e-government, and e-commerce and is expected to contribute to job creation, bridge the digital divide, and boost the country’s GDP.