At the end of 2023, Congo had approximately 5.9 million SIM cards for a population of 5.7 million. These subscriptions are shared between Airtel and MTN.
The Congolese government plans to impose sanctions on telecom operators that fail to comply with subscriber identification requirements. An audit is planned in the coming days to assess the compliance of mobile phone operators’ practices.
The initiative was revealed by the Congolese Postal and Electronic Communications Regulatory Agency (ARPCE) during a meeting with mobile phone companies MTN and Airtel on Wednesday, March 27. The meeting follows recent inspections that revealed the continued sale of SIM cards without prior registration, particularly in Pointe-Noire and Dolisie, according to the telecoms regulator.
“Identifying a subscriber is not an option. It is the primary condition for any security in a telecoms market. An operator that turns a blind eye to this point opens the door to fraud and chaos,” declared Benjamin Mouandza, director of electronic communications networks and services at ARPCE, during the meeting.
This pressure on telecom operators comes amid a digital transformation marked by growing adoption of telecommunications services. Between 2013 and 2023, the number of mobile phone subscribers increased from 4.6 million to 5.9 million, while internet subscribers more than doubled, from approximately 1.4 million in 2015 to 3.4 million in 2023. This expansion, however, is accompanied by a surge in fraud exploiting these communication channels, a phenomenon observed across the continent. In response to this threat, several countries, including Nigeria, Ghana, Benin, and Senegal, have launched SIM card registration campaigns, with the aim of deactivating non-compliant ones.
For now, the ARPCE has not detailed the exact penalties telecom operators face, but it has warned that they will be more stringent than simple formal notices. Under current regulations, they face a penalty equivalent to 1% of their reported turnover during the last financial year, an amount that can be doubled in the event of a repeat offense. Sanctions may also include a reduction in the license term, up to one year, or even its suspension or permanent withdrawal, in the event of repeated violations.
Source: Extensia
