The government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is looking for a service provider to deploy digital terrestrial television (DTT) in 54 towns across the country.  The provider will be selected through a bidding process. This decision was ratified on May 12, 2025, during a meeting of the National Committee for Migration to DTT (CNM-TNT).

The meeting was chaired by the Minister of Communication and Media, Patrick Muyaya. It was attended by the ministers of National Defense, Justice, Planning, Budget, Industry, Telecoms, Finance, and Culture.

According to the Minister, progress has been made in the selection process for the service provider, whose identity will be revealed in the coming days. He stated that all procedures have been finalized in collaboration with the Ministry of the Budget, leading to this outcome. 

"We have been able to make progress, and that in the next few days, we will have more precise elements that will enable the Congolese and all service providers in the sector to know which partner we will be working with in the rollout of digital television," said the Minister of Communication and Media.

In December 2024, the interministerial commission had opted for a restricted call for tenders to select a technical partner for the next phase of the project, which would extend DTT to an additional 46 towns. The estimated cost of that operation was around $60 million, but with the extension to 54 cities, the cost has not been disclosed.

The first phase of DTT deployment in the DRC has already been completed, with nine cities currently benefiting from the service. Launched in 2018, DTT has generated nearly $82 million in revenue for the public treasury, which the government aims to increase through the subsequent phases of the project.

This article was initially published in French by Ronsard Luabeya (intern)

Edited in English by Ola Schad Akinocho