According to the Q1 2026 official report from the Autorité de Régulation de la Poste et des Télécommunications du Congo (ARPTC) — the postal and telecommunications regulatory authority of the Democratic Republic of the Congo — and subsequent media analysis, the D.R. Congo telecom market is undergoing a profound structural transformation. The core growth driver has shifted from traditional voice and SMS services to mobile internet and mobile money offerings. While the overall market continues to expand, this represents an iteration of its business mix rather than a market decline.
In terms of revenue: Mobile internet revenue accounted for 57% of the total telecom industry revenue in Q1 2026, while SMS revenue fell 5.97% quarter-on-quarter. Voice and SMS services are squeezed from both sides by OTT applications and evolving digital user habits: a large number of users have switched to instant messaging apps such as WhatsApp for daily chats, holiday greetings, and photo and video sharing, leading to a continuous decline in P2P personal SMS usage. A2P enterprise SMS, used for purposes such as verification codes and transaction alerts, remains irreplaceable. Mobile data consumption has stayed at a high level even after the year-end holiday season, and the decline in traditional service revenue has widened further compared to 2025.
In terms of subscriber base: Mobile internet added 894,375 new subscribers this quarter, with a quarter-on-quarter growth rate of nearly 3%. The growth rate has moderated from the previous quarter, as the market gradually moves from high-speed expansion to a mature stage. As of the end of Q1 2026, the country had 74.9 million active mobile subscriptions, up 1.41% from the fourth quarter of 2025, and mobile subscriber penetration reached 66.8%.
Mobile Money has become the second pillar of growth. Digital inclusive finance, cross-operator transfers, and merchant payment services have risen rapidly, gradually offsetting the revenue gap caused by the decline in voice and SMS services. The regulator noted that while the overall market maintains growth, new businesses are more complex, more volatile, and significantly affected by seasonal factors; operators need to adjust their business models to adapt to users' digital consumption habits.
