Find Telecommunication expertise in Rwanda

Although information and communication technologies (ICTs) in Rwanda are well established in urban areas, with fixed phone lines, mobile telephones and internet services, telecommunication penetration is still relatively low (2014). There are about 16 telephone lines for every 1,000 people, 44 internet users per 1,000 people, and about a quarter of the population have mobile cellular subscriptions. Telecommunications revenue contributes around 4.7% of the country’s GDP (2007).  Liquid Telecom and MTN dominate the mobile market as the largest companies in Rwana’s liberalised telecommunications market.

The Rwandan Government invests significantly in the development of ICT infrastructure, and has done so by laying 2,500 km of optic fibre that covers Kigali City and the rest of the country. The line also provides about seven regional links to surrounding countries.

At the time of writing (2014) data services were still in the early stages of development. In January 2014 the government of Rwanda partnered with Korea Telecom Corporation in two joint ventures to accelerate the deployment of ICT infrastructure across the country.

Furthermore, the announcement of a new government venture in the form of an ICT Technology Park is expected to attract significant private investment and help to spur development of the sector. The Technopole, as it is known, will provide ready-access to hard and soft infrastructure: connectivity, telecommunication services, energy, R&D facilities and business support services.