Rwanda begins the process of rolling out free Wi-Fi access nationwide

Rwanda is busy trying to reinvent itself as the east and central African regional high tech hub by rolling out free nationwide wireless connectivity.

In September this year, the Rwandan government announced it had started to cover the lush green, rolling hills of the capital Kigali with wireless hotspots.

This was the first step of a plan to provide Wi-Fi coverage to all schools and public buildings, markets, bus stations and hotels in the city and, in the medium to long term, the entire country.

According to Rwanda’s minister in charge of Information Technology, Jean Philibert Nsengimana, the provision of free wireless access will “accelerate growth of the Internet and tech sector and attract more business”.

“Connectivity is one of the most important draws for business in this age of digital economy,” he said, asserting that free Wi-Fi was merely a step in the direction of a much bigger infrastructure goal — that of fourth generation, or 4G, access.

In June this year, Rwanda government signed the KT Corp to build a 4G network that it wants delivered to 95 percent of the country, up from the estimated 15 percent who currently have 3G access.

“Broadband access,” said Nsengimana, “has to be considered as an essential, just like water and electricity.”