Orange is bringing its brand to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), replacing the CCT brand. The move comes on the heels of France Telecom’s (owner of Orange) acquisition of CCT back in October 2011. From that point, Orange has invested some $95 million to expand and upgrade the network, even deploying the country’s first 3G+ (HSPA) network in Kinshasa. Further expansion of 3G services will take place in the coming days with citizens of Lubumbashi and Matadi also being able to connect to the Internet using their phones, with Goma, Bukavu and Mbuji-Mayi following in early 2013.
Orange has a chain of 22 own-branded retail outlets, but its products and services will be available through 22,000 indirect points of sale.
Commenting on the news, Orange DRC’s CEO Jean-Léon Bonnechère said: “We think that there is a strong desire for simple, dynamic and innovative services in the DRC, a country with incredible development potential; it is the Group’s ability to meet these requirements that makes Orange one of the most renowned brands in the world.”