Rwanda sets example with 4G network

A woman uses her mobile phone as she walk through central Kigali, Rwanda. PHIL MOORE/AFP/Getty Images

Rwanda has solidified itself as the beacon of technological prowess in Central Africa, thanks to an award recently presented to the country’s 4G LTE project — a symbol of Rwanda’s progressive work in broadband and wireless technology.

In a ceremony last week, organized by the Global Telecom Business Magazine, the Rwandan government and Korea Telecoms — South Korea’s largest telecommunications provider — were recognized for their partnership in a speedy network rollout of high-speed wireless infrastructure throughout the country. Kigali and Korea Telecoms make up Olleh Rwanda Networks, which launched 4G technology last November and which is retailed by several prominent internet service providers, including telecoms MTN and Airtel. Upon the launch of the initiative last year, the government announced its target of connecting 95% of its population to the internet by 2017.

The award is an example of how the Rwandan government has made connectivity, internet development, broadband infrastructure, and overall tech entrepreneur work a priority. In early May, the country hosted a broadband forum with delegates from more than 15 countries from Africa and other continents to discuss best practices and approaches to increase broadband penetration in Africa. Philbert Nsengimana, the minister for youth and ICT, noted that accelerating broadband growth would facilitate the goal of moving Rwanda’s economy further away from subsistence agriculture. Solid internet services will be at the core of that change.

Rwanda has also been at the forefront of pushing women through the ranks of the tech industry with its international participation in women-forward tech events, including its notable Girls in ICT program. The country has been seeing the benefits of its native investment in tech for years in terms of foreign interest and investment, in addition to internal business development.

Its neighbors are taking note. Kenya, for one, is making significant strides in terms of connectivity, boosted by its stable economy. Safaricom, one of the country’s leading mobile network operators, announced last week that it has completed a country-wide upgrade which it hopes will elevate users to 4G. But Rwanda’s other neighbors, notably the Democratic Republic of Congo, have been struggling to establish or maintain any useful infrastructure because of ongoing civil strife.

Perhaps with continued efforts through partnerships, Rwanda will achieve its 95% connectivity target over the next couple of years.