en.Wedoany.com Reported - The Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications, and Digital Affairs of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has signed a memorandum of understanding with China's Genew Technologies Company to build a $1.5 billion fiber optic project along the Congo River, covering approximately 2,100 kilometers of infrastructure, including 1,700 kilometers of optical cable from Muanda to Kisangani along the Congo River and nearly 400 kilometers of terrestrial connections.

The ministry stated that the project aims to establish key connectivity corridors to strengthen and expand the country's national broadband network. The Congo River and its tributaries will serve as deployment corridors for the infrastructure, a strategy that will help the project bypass certain onshore challenges, including the country's vast size, poor road conditions, logistical constraints, and security risks along the route, which often delay infrastructure development in the DRC. Genew Technologies CEO Wu Minhua revealed that the total project cost is estimated at $1.5 billion, with the first phase requiring over $400 million.

Genew Technologies signed the memorandum with the DRC as multiple other entities are also expanding fiber optic networks in Africa. Last month, Seacom launched a high-capacity terrestrial fiber optic line between Nairobi and Kampala, strengthening a key digital corridor in East Africa. In June, Telecom Namibia partnered with Demshi Investment Holdings to accelerate fiber deployment. The African Development Bank (AfDB) approved a $200 million loan in April 2026 for Nigeria's "Project Bridge" to expand broadband access. In February 2026, Vodacom Mozambique and Bayobab Zambia activated fiber interconnection at the Zambia-Mozambique border. That same month, Ethio Telecom, Djibouti Telecom, and Sudatel Group converted a previous cross-border fiber memorandum into a binding agreement. Also in February, the Chadian government urged operators Sotel and Airtel to restart negotiations to activate the N'Djamena-Mbere fiber optic line connecting Chad and Cameroon.