Rwanda Telecommunications Sector Performance Review 2007

Rwanda
TABLE 5: INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF INTERNET SUBSCRIBERS
Company 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006
RWANDATEL 1 482 2 047 2 378 2 497 2 484 3500
MEDIAPOST 0 0 114 130 * *
ARTEL 0 0 12 28 28 37
TERRACOM 0 0 0 220 ** 5 200
MTN Rwandacell 0 0 0 0 0 1 200
TOTAL 1 482 2 047 2 504 2 875 2 512 6 787
Source: RURA Annual Report 2004
* No longer in operation as an ISP
** No data available for Terracom in 2005
Subscribers and users are not necessarily one and the same. For example,
a subscriber has a formal relationship, like a contract or account,
with an operator. There may be any number of users under a subscriber’s
account. An Internet café may be one subscription. There may
be dozens of people who use the café. In 2000 there were only 5 000 Internet
users with one Internet service provider, Rwandatel. By 2004 the
number of Internet users had increased from 5 000 to a reported 25 000.
The use of the Internet for educational purposes is currently limited to
the higher learning institutions such as the National University of
Rwanda (NUR), Kigali Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), the
Kigali Institute of Education (KIE) and the Kigali Health Institute. Computers
and the Internet remain underused in the school system. While
many schools now have computers, most schools have no reliable electricity
or telephone connectivity. The Government started to provide telephone
and Internet connectivity in 2004 but access to electricity remains
a problem.
UNIVERSAL ACCESS
A number of policies have been adopted by the Government to ensure
access to telecommunications facilities especially in underprivileged
areas. To that effect, there is a Presidential order that obliges each operator
to pay 2% of their turnover (total sales return) exclusive of taxes
and interconnection fees, to create a fund to be used to expand access to
rural areas.
20 2007 Telecommunications Sector Performance Review