Telecom companies and Internet service providers have been challenged to set up more service centres across the country to ease access to communication services and bridge the gap between them and clients.

Yosam Kiiza, the Private Sector Federation finance director, said this could reduce the communication challenges the country faces and support its development goals.

Kiiza was speaking during the launch of Airtel Rwanda service centre in Kimironko, a Kigali suburb, last week.

Tano Oware, finance director at Airtel Rwanda said the ability of firms reaching out to customers and extending services closer to them in a convenient manner is key to enhance their user experience and flexibility.

Oware said they were going to open three more service centers before the year’s end, with the next one set to be outside Kigali.

Rwanda currently has more than 71.6 percent of its population with access to mobile telecommunication services, according to sector regulator the Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Authority (Rura).

The government has echoed the need for seamless communication as it seeks to be the region’s information communication technology hub by 2017.