DRC to Add 728 Telecom Towers Under $32.8 Million EAAIF Financing

The Democratic Republic of Congo is to receive 728 new telecommunications towers under a $32.8 million financing commitment from the Emerging Africa and Asia Infrastructure Fund (EAAIF), equivalent to about KSh4.25 billion at KSh129.5 to the dollar.

The financing will go to Eastcastle Infrastructure DRC, a company involved in telecommunications infrastructure in the country. The investment will expand its active tower network from 1,072 sites to 1,800.

About 70% of the new towers are expected to be deployed in rural and underpenetrated parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo, according to the financing details. The rollout will therefore extend beyond the country's more established urban telecommunications markets.

The funding will also cover upgrades to existing tower infrastructure. These include the installation of solar panels and lithium battery systems, alongside the construction of additional sites.

EAAIF's financing is structured as senior secured debt for Eastcastle Infrastructure DRC. The facility forms part of wider financing commitments connected to digital infrastructure in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Separately, EAAIF has committed another $50 million to Liquid Intelligent Technologies, equivalent to about KSh6.48 billion using the same exchange rate. That financing is intended to support a broader fibre-network restructuring and expansion programme.

The two commitments bring the total value of EAAIF financing covered by the announcement to $82.8 million, or roughly KSh10.72 billion. The combined figure should not be interpreted as the cost of constructing the 728 towers.

For Eastcastle, the tower financing will increase its portfolio by 728 sites, taking the company's active network to 1,800 towers once the additional infrastructure is deployed.

The focus on rural and underpenetrated locations is also reflected in the proportion of new sites earmarked for those areas. Around seven in every 10 towers are expected to be located outside areas already served by stronger tower coverage.

Solar panels and lithium batteries are included in the financing package, adding power-related equipment to the telecommunications infrastructure being supported through the facility. The source does not give a separate value for these components.

Liquid Intelligent Technologies' financing is separate from the Eastcastle tower facility, although both commitments form part of the same EAAIF announcement concerning digital infrastructure in the DRC.

The financing comes as telecommunications infrastructure remains an important part of expanding digital connectivity across the country. The DRC has a large geographical area, making network infrastructure deployment a substantial part of efforts to extend connectivity beyond established population centres.

The EAAIF commitments therefore cover two different parts of the country's telecommunications infrastructure: tower expansion through Eastcastle and fibre-network investment through Liquid Intelligent Technologies. The $82.8 million figure represents the combined financing commitments.