Yanga Internet Tower Opens to Public
Drums rolled and phone cameras flashed as Prefect Paul Adam Dibouilou cut the ribbon on the Fasuce telecommunications site just outside Yanga. Representing the Prime Minister, he called the moment “a doorway for our village into the global conversation,” to loud approval from residents.
- Yanga Internet Tower Opens to Public
- Why the Signal Matters for Kouilou
- Cutting-Edge Kit Inside a Single Mast
- Classrooms Log On at Last
- Boost for Local Entrepreneurship
- Health Centre Prepares Connected Care
- Community Asked to Protect the Site
- Part of a Broader Modernisation Drive
- Public-Private Alliance on Display
- Symbolic Gift Packs for Early Users
- Economic Ripples Already Visible
- Culture Meets Technology
- Keeping Costs Manageable
- Training the Next Generation
- Voices From the Ceremony
- Next Stops on the Connectivity Map
- Signal of Confidence for Rural Congo
Why the Signal Matters for Kouilou
Until now, many households here relied on patchy 2G signals or costly trips to Pointe-Noire cybercafés. The new radio-access network, installed by the Universal Service Fund (Fasuce) and MTN Congo, delivers stable 4G speeds designed for education, commerce and e-government services.
Cutting-Edge Kit Inside a Single Mast
Agency head Louis Marc Sakala described the tower as “three networks in one,” housing power supply, fibre backhaul and radio antennas within an all-weather shell. Engineers say the compact design lowers maintenance costs and eases future upgrades to 5G when demand rises.
Classrooms Log On at Last
Two nearby schools, Pointe-Noire 2 High School and Mâ Loango College, will receive dedicated links in the coming weeks. Teachers already plan online science demos and language exchanges. “We want our students clicking on the same pages as pupils in Brazzaville,” principal Angélique Ndinga told reporters.
Boost for Local Entrepreneurship
Market gardeners hope online price tracking will help them bargain better for cassava and pepper harvests. Artisan Bony Mbemba says a reliable signal lets him advertise carved stools on social media instead of waiting for the Saturday roadside market. “More bars on my phone means more buyers,” he smiled.
Health Centre Prepares Connected Care
Nurses at the Integrated Health Centre, renovated this year, will soon test tele-consultations with specialists in Pointe-Noire. “A photo of a rash or an X-ray can travel instantly, saving families expensive transport,” noted nurse-in-charge Justine Loubaki.
Community Asked to Protect the Site
Standing beneath the tower, Sakala urged villagers to treat it as common property. “The signal belongs to every child and trader here; guard it like your field of cassava,” he said. Local youth groups agreed to organise nightly patrols against cable theft.
Part of a Broader Modernisation Drive
Fasuce chair Luc Missidimbazi recalled recent upgrades in Yanga: a rehabilitated primary school, extended water pipes, new solar streetlights and the electrification of several neighbourhoods. “Connectivity is the thread that stitches these efforts together,” he emphasised.
Public-Private Alliance on Display
MTN Congo supplied equipment and technical staff, while Fasuce financed civil works using contributions from all licensed telecom operators. The model, officials believe, can be copied across Congo to reach remote areas at lower taxpayer cost.
Symbolic Gift Packs for Early Users
To mark launch day, organisers handed basic smartphones and prepaid data to 50 women traders, students and elders. Cheers erupted as each device connected for the first time, video calls crackling with excitement to relatives in Brazzaville and beyond.
Economic Ripples Already Visible
Within hours, small kiosks selling SIM cards and charging cables popped up along the laterite road. Motorcycle taxi driver Régis Nianga reported more ride requests via messaging apps, trimming the time he spends cruising for passengers.
Culture Meets Technology
Traditional Béembé dancers opened the ceremony, their feathered costumes whirling against a backdrop of satellite dishes. Officials say the blend reflects a vision where Congo’s heritage coexists with high-tech opportunities, ensuring that progress feels familiar, not imposed.
Keeping Costs Manageable
MTN confirmed promotional data bundles aimed at students and farmers, starting at 100 F CFA for midnight browsing sessions. Consumer watchdogs welcomed the move, noting that affordability determines whether a tower becomes transformative or merely decorative.
Training the Next Generation
A partnership with the Youth Digital Academy in Pointe-Noire will deliver weekend coding workshops under a makeshift tent near the mast. Organisers target 200 teenagers by year-end, hoping to spark careers in app development and network maintenance.
Voices From the Ceremony
“I feel proud and responsible,” Prefect Dibouilou told attendees, stressing that digital inclusion aligns with national development goals championed by the government. Student Mireille Tchicaya added, “Now I can download textbooks instead of sharing one printed copy with three classmates.”
Next Stops on the Connectivity Map
Fasuce engineers are surveying Madingo-Kayes and Loango for similar towers. Each site will study terrain, population density and power supply, but officials aim to keep roll-outs on a quarterly schedule. “Momentum is our ally,” Sakala said.
Signal of Confidence for Rural Congo
As evening fell and the tower’s red beacon blinked against the Kouilou sky, residents lingered to snap selfies—a new ritual made possible by the very mast in their background. For many, the light symbolises more than coverage; it signals a future within reach.
