The Ministry of Youth, and Information Communications and Technology (ICT), together with industry players, recently took part in an ICT Backward Joint Sector Review 2014/15.
"When I reflect on what we've achieved over the last one year or so, putting it in broad categories it is access, capacity and services. "I think we have moved quite a bit," Jean Philbert Nsengimana, the Minister of Youth and ICT said.
Participants had a chance to have a recap, discuss key priorities and targets. Out of this dialogue, came new policy proposals relevant to the sector.
"This is a great platform for ICT enthusiasts and practitioners to really engage at working level discussions around the challenges and opportunities in Rwanda around ICT," Przemek Praszczalek, the Deputy Program Office Director, USAID/Rwanda said.
"The platform comes at the hills of the Transform Africa Summit and therefore is a level where we can follow up and see ideas, challenges put forth during the Summit into practice and discuss with the Ministry, the private sector and the academia about the next step, what we should do in the sector," he said.
Nsengimana said: "One year ago we launched the 4G-LTE and we are happy to note that the rollout speed is good with clear indications to hit the target of 95% coverage by 2017."
4G LTE presently offers the fastest internet connection and stands for Fourth Generation, Long Term Evolution. These networks can download data at speeds between five and 12 megabits per second - enough for smooth streaming for live video and better response times for online multiplayer games.
Globally, GSMA, (the mobile network umbrella), estimates that by 2020, only 50% of the global population will be covered by 4G LTE.
However, according to Nsengimana, Rwanda's case this will be at 100% by 2020.
"Rwanda last year alone emerged from below the average of Africa in terms of access to mobile, internet, and broadband currently standing at 75% + in terms of number of people connected for their mobile phone, at 32% in internet, with over seven million accounts in mobile financial services," Nsengimana said.
This year, the East African Community (EAC) interconnected the Northern Corridor with the One Area Network. This has seen many Rwandans make more use of roaming services as costs have been substantially reduced.
For instance, roaming traffic between Rwanda and Uganda has increased eight fold.
In terms of e-government, the country has also chalked up some successes. "About 12 institutions are currently connected to NIBA database such as the National Bank, Rwanda Social Security Board, Rwanda Revenue Authority, land sector, business registration with Rwanda Development Board, National Electoral Commission, immigration and security organs, among other, which shows that we have continued to move in terms of digitising services delivery which is a big objective," Nsengimana said.
In capacity building, despite not registering any big universities this year coming in, the country managed to register growth of professional training and certification industry.
Nsengimana said. "Building the skills does not only look at the top of the pyramid, but also its bottom and therefore we are driving a national literacy programme with players like ICBL and others with so many other private training initiatives to really boost our capacity to train our people to be able to use ICT and drive the demand of services. However this is an area where we still have a lot to do," he said.
Minister Nsengimana believes ICT can transform Africa. "It can transform our economies, contribute to improving peoples' livelihoods," he said. In the last four years of Rwanda's Vision 2020, when it comes to the ICT sector which is among the 42 indicators under the Vision 2020, the sector has achieved it targets which is mobile penetration and internet penetration.
"The main target remaining is to transform the economy into a digital economy and a lot still needs to be done," Nsengimana said.
According to Praszczalek, Rwanda has made tremendous progress over the last decade in ICT.
"It's really important to acknowledge that the Ministry, the private sector and the academia are really working together in Rwanda in bringing the latest ICT solutions to the country," Praszczalek said.
Not long ago, Cabinet approved the Smart Rwanda Master Plan which is a living document. The country has registered tremendous interests of partners who have already come in because they knew that there is a Smart Rwanda Master Plan even before its approval, with many partnerships already made or being forged.
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Quelle/Source: AllAfrica, 24.11.2015
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