MTN Rwanda, the leading mobile phone operator in the country has hit the 500,000 million subscriber mark, management has announced.

This means subscribers grew by 100 percent over a year’s period, the highest in the history of MTN operations in Rwanda.

Management attributes the growing number of clients to increased roll out of its network countrywide.

Andrew Rugege, chief operations officer MTN Rwanda said subscriber base grew to 500,000 in September 2007 from 250,000 clients that the telecom company had on its network in same period last year.

"In September 2006 we were celebrating quarter a million subscriber (250,000) and in just one year we have reached 500,000,” Rugege said.

 "This means that in one year, we have achieved what was achieved in eight years.”

Subscriber numbers swelled partly due to an earlier initiative by the telecom giant to scrap off some charges such as access fees bringing key costs down.

Rwanda government scrapped off import tariffs on mobile handset at the start of this year significantly bringing down prices on local the market. 

MTN Rwanda is part of MTN group, Africa’s largest mobile telecom company with operations in 21 countries including the Middle East.

The telecom giant recently announced acquisition of 48 million subscribers on its network in all its operations.

Over nine years, MTN Rwanda has been the only mobile network in Rwanda with 9.4 million people where telephone penetration stands at 4 per cent.

The state owned Rwandatel has been put on market for sale to private entrepreneurs before close of this year. 

This is expected to bring fierce competition on the Rwandan market, where MTN commands 95 per cent market share. 

Competitors in the region are on record for at times using prohibitive off-net call tariffs to protect their subscriber base.

With a target of rolling out 60 new base stations before close of 2007, MTN Rwanda targets attaining 600,000 subscribers as year closes.

East Africa has one of the most competitive markets in sub-Saharan Africa with almost ten GSM operators by the end of 2007.

Celtel operates a borderless network in five countries while MTN Rwanda is soon teaming with Safaricom of Kenya which enjoys a partnership with MTN Uganda and Vodafone Tanzania.

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