Rwanda: Kigali Set to Get Urban Network
July 21, 2008
19 July 2008
Posted to the web 21 July 2008
Bosco Hitimana
Kigali
Completion of work to build Kigali metropolitan network based on the national backbone fiber optic has been set for December this year.
This will be followed by extensive works to build the cable across the country covering 30 districts, which will come to completion by November 2009, according to the officials.
"What we are looking at doing with the national backbone is enabling the country to be connected," the executive director of Rwanda Information Technology Authority (RITA), Mr. Kubito Bakuramutsa said.
RITA is the government’s agency that nurtures and oversees the wide implementation of the ICT projects in the country especially in the government’s institutions.
The government will first lay down a huge array of cables that will be followed by building of an access network going exactly to the government institutions and the private entities.
This, according to Bakuramutsa will allow Rwanda to be connected internally and support services like digital libraries to be accessed by different schools.
Currently Rwanda is building Kigali metropolitan network expected to be ready by December this year.
This is the first step to building the national backbone that is scheduled to be completed by November 2009.
The country is now engaged with Korea Telecom, Korea’s leader in network installation to come up with a document detailing the cost of the project. However, Bakuramutsa said that some studies estimate the cost at $20million while others put it close to $40million for the entire connectivity work to be done.
"The government is committed to build the best network that is going to help accelerate our development in e-education, e-health, and e-government to promote efficiency," Bakuramutsa said.
The national backbone is estimated to roll down between 1600Km and 2000Km but the actual length will be shown from a study being undertaken by KT to be out by October.
The government wishes to put the infrastructure that is also open to the private sector as well. However, in the long term, the government would also wish the cable to be managed by the private sector.
The private sector will be charged some money for the service to access the fiber and in the meantime, the government is engaged with the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) to develop a price tag showing how the private sector would be charged to access the fiber.
"It will be an open infrastructure-whoever wants to use it, will be able to use it. What you need to do is to enter into an agreement with entity that will be managing it," Bakuramutsa noted.
The cable, according to Bakuramutsa will support creation of the private sector especially the Internet Service Providers (ISPs).