The verdict in three sentences
A fixed wireless internet provider in Brazzaville billing 3,000 subscribers on Excel leaves 10 to 15% of revenue sitting in unpaid and forgotten invoices. Custom subscriber management software costs 8 to 20 million FCFA excl. VAT in 2026 (about 12,000 to 30,000 EUR), with recurring billing, automatic suspension and reconnection on the network, support tickets and access point mapping. The fastest gain is unpaid invoices dropping from 15% to 5%, often enough to pay back the project in under a year.
The typical problem of a Congolese wireless ISP
In Brazzaville and Pointe-Noire, wireless operators (legacy WiMAX, 5 GHz point-to-multipoint links, private LTE) serve SMEs, NGOs, hotels and affluent households. With 3,000 subscribers, the pain points look alike:
- Invoices issued by hand, reminders by phone, Airtel Money and MTN MoMo payments matched late.
- Suspensions of late payers done manually by a technician, and therefore often forgotten.
- Outages reported on WhatsApp with no history and no link to the relevant antenna or relay.
- No reliable view of revenue per access point to decide where to invest.
Modules and 2026 budget
| Module | Function | Indicative budget (FCFA excl. VAT) |
|---|---|---|
| Subscriber record and contracts | Plan, speed, installed equipment, GPS coordinates | 1,200,000 to 2,500,000 |
| Recurring billing | Monthly or quarterly, prorating, 18% VAT, PDF and SMS | 1,800,000 to 4,000,000 |
| Mobile money payment | Airtel Money, MTN MoMo, automatic matching | 1,500,000 to 3,500,000 |
| Automatic suspension and reconnection | API to MikroTik routers or RADIUS server | 1,500,000 to 4,000,000 |
| Support tickets | Created via SMS, WhatsApp or portal, resolution times | 900,000 to 2,500,000 |
| Network mapping | Access points, relays, attached subscribers, load | 800,000 to 2,000,000 |
| Subscriber portal and app | Invoices, payment, ticket tracking | 1,000,000 to 2,500,000 |
A core of billing, mobile money and automatic suspension fits within 8 to 11 million FCFA excl. VAT for 10 to 12 weeks. The full version with mapping and subscriber app reaches 16 to 20 million FCFA excl. VAT. Hosting and maintenance: 250,000 to 600,000 FCFA per month. International ISP billing platforms cost 1 to 3 USD per subscriber per month, i.e. 1.8 to 5.4 million FCFA per month for 3,000 subscribers, with no native Congolese mobile money integration.
Measured impact on unpaid invoices and support
| Indicator | Before software | After 6 to 9 months |
|---|---|---|
| Unpaid rate at 30 days | 15% | 5% |
| Average collection time | 22 days | 6 days |
| Missed suspensions | 80 to 120 per month | Near zero |
| Reconnection time after payment | 4 to 24 hours | Under 5 minutes |
| Average ticket resolution time | 2.5 days | 1 day |
| Monthly billing workload | 6 days for 2 people | Half a day |
Reconnection within minutes after a mobile money payment changes subscriber behavior: they pay earlier because service comes back immediately.
Mini case study
Arsène, director of a fixed wireless ISP in Brazzaville, serves 3,000 subscribers at an average of 35,000 FCFA per month, i.e. 105 million FCFA billed monthly. His unpaid rate is 15%, about 15.7 million FCFA per month.
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He invests 14 million FCFA excl. VAT in software covering billing, mobile money, automatic suspension and tickets, plus 400,000 FCFA per month of maintenance. After 8 months, unpaid invoices fall to 6%, about 9.4 million FCFA recovered every month. Even counting only half of that gain as lasting, the project pays back in 3 to 4 months. The billing team goes from 2 part-time people to one, reassigned to collecting from key accounts. A 2026 order of magnitude.
FAQ
Does the software work with our MikroTik routers?
Yes, suspension goes through the RouterOS API or a RADIUS server. Integration takes 2 to 3 weeks depending on the number of relays.
Can we collect through Airtel Money and MTN MoMo?
Yes, with automatic matching to the invoice. Aggregator fees generally range between 1% and 2.5% per transaction.
What happens if a client pays after suspension?
Service is restored automatically in under 5 minutes after payment confirmation. An SMS confirms reconnection to the subscriber.
Does the software handle business subscribers with several sites?
Yes, a business account can group 2 to 50 sites with a consolidated invoice. This is essential for NGOs and banks.
How long does it take to migrate 3,000 subscribers?
Allow 2 to 3 weeks of data cleaning and import, then 1 month of parallel running before retiring the old spreadsheet.
Let's scope your project. We price your subscriber management software (recurring billing, mobile money, automatic suspension, support) for a budget of 8 to 20 million FCFA excl. VAT and go-live in 10 to 16 weeks. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
