Highway Africa News Agency (HANA)’s David Kezio-Musoke interviewed president of Rwanda, Paul Kagame on the future ICT prospects of Rwanda and his involvement in the Accra preparatory regional summit. Below are excerpts of the interview.

QUESTION: While other countries let the process of making an effective ICT policy die out at ministerial level, Rwanda together with other African countries such as South Africa, Egypt and Tunisia, is now being used as a role model of a country with an effective ICT policy at national level. How have you achieved that?
ANSWER: We made the choice in terms of overall objectives and we have made that choice with help from United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA). They have offered the resources, including the human resource. It is on that basis that everyone has started using us a model.
Can you give us a brief outline of Rwanda’s current ICT infrastructure and it’s future prospects?
Today we have put in place broadband infrastructure. It is possible to wireless internet access. We have the fibre optic infrastructure in the city and most of the towns and the provinces. We are working to expand it to other areas of the countries. We are expanding internet connectivity to schools. All secondary schools should be connected within the next 12 years. We have a digital backbone provided by different providers like Rwanda Telecom Rwandatel and RwandaCell. Rwandatel is under privatisation.
Rwanda just like other East and Central African countries relies on satellite as a sole medium for the international connectivity, are you subscribed to the upcoming East African Submarine Cable System commonly known as the EASSy project?
Yes Rwanda is a subscriber to the submarine cable system through the government owned Rwanda Telecom, RwandaTel. Rwandatel is in a process of changing its status to privately owned but even if it changes, it still won’t make much difference. This month we are going to have a meeting with the other East and Southern African countries to see the progress of putting up this East African coastal fibre optic cable.
Why isn’t Rwanda subscribed to the regional ICT regulatory bodies like the Association for Regulators of Information and Communications for Eastern and Southern Africa (ARICEA) and East African Regulatory, Posts and Telecommunications Organisation (EARPTO)?
I wouldn’t say anything on that. I am not well conversant on that. I would say we have been participating in the East African regional discussions and other discussions where the region is looking at including the issue of raising resources. We are glad and we are part of them.
How much is Rwanda doing to promote community radios?
We are promoting that. In fact we have been working with a lady called Linda Chalker of UNILEVER. They are selling to us radios that are powered by energy from the sun. They are cheap, a big package is to be delivered by UNILEVER to our communities. This has been driven by the desire of the ‘participatory justice system’ we have in Rwanda. This system is in place given the background of our history. Taking radios to these people has helped deal with a bulk of people who suffered during the course of our history.
Are their any people demanding new frequencies?
We have radio stations at district levels. We have given one to a radio in the north near the border with Congo and we are doing that we other districts, so far eight districts.
You are quite enthusiastic about ICT issues. Other presidents were invited for this Accra preparatory regional summit but didn’t turn up but you did. What is your main agenda?
There are things that I can answer and others I can't. I can answer the part of my interest and my Rwanda’s interest. We have been invited to other conferences before and we have always participated. We have a lot to learn from other experiences and we would love others to share from ours. My coming was driven by the desire, first of all to fulfil obligation of my brother the President of Ghana, and secondary, the desire to participate in this conference putting in mind the ICT situation in Rwanda. I had to come whether others are coming or not. I was focusing on the ICT interest of my country
Are you carrying any message for the Accra delegates?
Firstly I agree that ICTs play a very important role in socio-economic development of society with the use of effective technology and access to information is also very important. We (Rwanda) believe in that and that is what we want to emphasise to others and also demonstrate to them. Secondly the other message is that ICT can’t be important unless you make it accessible. If ICT is to be made important it has to be accessed by a majority of our people. It should not remain in the hands of only the privileged.
Thirdly, we need to pull our own resources from the region. It is important that our efforts cut across borders. We should cross borders in terms of coordination if we are to build effective ICTs.