Rwanda ups the ICT ante with imminent 4GLTE launch

RWANDA SET FOR 4G LAUNCH NEXT MONTH

(Posted 25th August 2014)

After a series of successful tests will the joint venture between the Rwandan government and Korea Telecom launch 4GLTE services from next month across the country. The joint venture will be the platform for other telecom companies in the country to sign up with and AIRTEL, TIGO and MTN will only ‘retail’ the service to their subscribers.

Rwanda is already a leader in the field of ICT services in Eastern Africa and the launch of wireless high speed broadband services, which makes buffering a thing of the past, will only enhance Rwanda’s reputation in the region and beyond. Other countries in Eastern Africa already offering 4GLTE are Uganda, where Smile Communications has taken the lead in the Entebbe – Kampala – Mukono corridor, though planning to expand into key towns upcountry, while the same company has also established a network in Tanzania, with Kenya notably lagging behind, as is Burundi.

Rwanda has invested over the past years to install over 3.000 kilometres of fibre optic cables across the country and has the ambitious target to connecting 95 percent of its population and areas of the country by 2017 to 4G services, hoping that projections will come through that such infrastructure investments will boost GDP by a massive 10+ percent. Visitors to the country already enjoy free wireless 3G internet in many parts of Kigali and this service is expected to be expanded too as time goes by.

Telecoms companies in Rwanda have reportedly imported 4G devices which will shortly go on sale though tariffs from the three main providers for the new 4G service are at this time not available. Rwanda, the Land of a Thousand Hills once again taking the lead.

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