José Mpanda drives forward RDC’s sovereign satellite project

An old Luban proverb says, “He who perseveres always gets what he wants.” That perfectly describes Me José Mpanda Kabangu, the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s Minister of Posts and Telecommunications. He is determined to achieve what he could not accomplish during his first ministerial tenure at the Ministry of Scientific Research and Technological Innovation in September 2019: giving the RDC its own sovereign satellite.

On Friday, June 5, Minister José Mpanda Kabangu held a crucial meeting with a Chinese delegation from China Unicom and Genew Technologies. The talks focused on building a sovereign satellite for the RDC and deploying fiber optic infrastructure across the entire national territory. This meeting followed his recent mission to China in April, where initial discussions took place.

Alongside the Chinese firms, the audience included experts from the General Secretariat of PTNTIC, the Telecommunications and Postal Regulatory Authority (ARPTC), the Congolese Fibre Company (SOCOF), the National Satellite Telecommunications Network (RENATELSAT), the National Remote Sensing Centre (CNT), as well as senior advisers to the Presidency and the Prime Minister’s office in charge of PTNTIC.

Minister Mpanda explained that his trip to China was political — seeking solutions for his country — but the real technical discussions had to involve experts. That is why the Chinese firms are now in Kinshasa until June 19 to exchange with Congolese specialists on two major projects: the sovereign satellite (for which a memorandum of understanding was signed in April) and the national fiber optic backbone (whose agreements were revised in 2025).

The discussions that began on Monday, June 8, aim to achieve three objectives:

1. Technical and Financial Structuring – Validate the technical architecture of both projects, estimate costs, and finalize financing arrangements with the Ministry of Planning and the Ministry of Finance.

2. Consultation and Institutional Alignment – The Chinese firms will formally notify and present to stakeholders including RENATELSAT, SCPT, SOCOF, CNC, CNT, SG PTNTIC, ARPTC, the Presidency, and the Prime Minister’s office.

3. Preparation of Due Diligence in China and Next Steps – Define the scope and timeline, identify Congolese delegates and sites to visit, produce deliverables before departure, and outline steps following due diligence.

Minister Mpanda expects four results from these talks:

• Validated technical solutions
• Finalized financing approach
• Aligned stakeholders
• Planned due diligence mission

The Congolese institutions involved in the project include the Presidency, Prime Minister’s office, Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications, Ministry of Planning, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Infrastructure, Ministry of Mines, and the National Cyber Defense Council (CNC). Technical entities include the General Secretariat of PTNTIC, ARPTC, FDSU, SOCOF, SCPT, RENALSAT, and CNT.