National communications project to start soon

BY GEORGE KAGAME

The government is set to launch the Rwanda Communications Infrastructure Project before the end of January after it was approved by the senate last week.

The project is among huge steps and is crucial in achieving the stated vision by President Paul Kagame to use ICT as the cornerstone of long term development programmes of government. RICP is a scheme designed "to contribute to extending the geographical reach of broadband networks and stimulate private-sector international and local broad bank connectivity at affordable rate," states a recent official document from the Real Sector Development in the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning.

It was approved by senate on Thursday last week and while presenting its framework to the house Energy Minister Eng Albert Butare said government had earmarked the money to have the fiber optic submarine cable extended to all government institutions like hospitals and schools. It will cost 60 million USD and involves the extension of the broadband submarine cable from Mombasa, Kenya, to all districts in Rwanda and is fully funded by the World Bank and government. Butare further said that when completed, RICP would help the private institutions to access communication lines with ease, he added that Rwanda’s telecommunication currently works through satellite which he said is expensive and limited.

A policy document from the Ministry of Infrastructure states that the ministry want RICP to "Integrate with other national backbone infrastructure initiatives, for example EASSy/EABs, Artel/VSAT and MTN Networks, ELECTOGAZ fiber network, ORINFOR and international broadcasting services, etc into a National Communications Infrastructure Backbone." Upon its completion it will RICP will be part of a regional framework whose pilot project, the East African Satellite System-Eassy-currently ongoing. This regional project will connect Rwanda's ICT network along those of other EAC members to the rest of the world on the sea bed of the East African coastline of the EAC.

An official document from the World Bank says that; "The Rwanda project is part of the World Bank’s $424 million Regional Communication Infrastructure Program which is designed to improve the regional communications infrastructure and increase the deployment of e-government in Southern and Eastern Africa. The program also complements the submarine fiber optic cable projects being developed along the East coast of Africa which will link the region into the global communications network."

The director of Rwanda Information and Communication Technology Authority-RITA Nkubito Bakuramitsa could not comment on the project as he was locked in a meeting the entire day while Rwanda Utilities and Regulation Authority, Deogene Mudenge also refused to comment. The two bodies are the official institutions charged with policy and technical issues relating to ICT in the country.
Experts state that broadband networks will enhance Broadcasting capabilities in Rwanda and the region, including digital broadcasting, provide high-capacity, low cost communication capability for both urban as well as rural areas and expand mobile phone coverage and TV/radio receivership (including national TV and FM radio coverage).