HT DRC Infraco, the operational entity of Helios Towers in the Democratic Republic of Congo, signed a memorandum of understanding with electricity sector regulator Autorité de régulation du secteur de l'électricité (ARE) on May 7, 2026. The agreement, signed by ARE Director General Soraya Aziz Moto and HT DRC Infraco Manager Maixent Bekangba, aims to establish a framework for supplying power to the group’s telecom sites in the country.

According to the ARE, the protocol is designed to facilitate telecom operators’ access to regulated electricity solutions, improve coordination with licensed electricity providers and strengthen tariff transparency. It also provides for collaboration on solutions tailored to off-grid sites or areas facing power supply constraints.

Helios Towers operates nearly 2,800 telecom sites in the DRC, a significant share of which are located in rural areas. In those locations, powering telecom towers relies heavily on generators, batteries or hybrid solar systems to ensure service continuity. The group also plans to invest more than $100 million to expand its infrastructure across 23 provinces, a move expected to increase its energy requirements in a country where electricity access barely exceeds 21%.

The agreement between the ARE and HT DRC Infraco reflects the growing importance of energy in the business model of telecom infrastructure operators in the DRC, a market where mobile internet and mobile money services continue to expand.

According to the latest data from telecom regulator ARPTC, the DRC had 73.9 million active mobile subscriptions in the fourth quarter of 2025, against an estimated population of 112.2 million, representing a penetration rate of 65.9%. Mobile internet now accounts for more than 55% of the sector’s total revenue, while the mobile money adoption rate reached 30.6% at the end of 2025.

Boaz Kabeya