In less-than two weeks

Rwandatel a Telecommunication company has announced it hit 50,000 in its first week of using the new technology. This follows the company’s switch to 2G, 3G, and GSM technology about two weeks ago, after its acquisition by LAP Green, networks a subsidiary of Libyan African Portfolio. It is jointly owned with the National Social Security Fund of Rwanda (CSR).

The new technology can able Rwandatel’s to conduct wireless video calls, and access broadband Internet in a mobile environment.

Cleophas Kabasiita, the company’s Public Relations Manager said that with the new technology, the company has registered about 55,000 subscribers.

Rwandatel is targeting about 600,000 subscribers by the end of 2009 as it continues to roll out the new services countrywide.

"Over 50,000 subscribers in a period of less than two weeks is quite a good number, if compare to our target by end of next year,” she explained. She said that the company ran short of their newly introduced 3G mobile phones and SIM cards. 

"Currently, only the 2G phones and SIM cards are available on the market but stocks are also depreciating,” Kabasiita revealed.

Adding: "The public got over whelmed with the new affordable mobile headsets with a lot of exciting features.”

She however explained that the recorded sales were partly due to the fact that the 3G phones were availed on the market for promotion at a lower price than their actual price.

Kabasiita also added that the number is expected to double soon as promotions and network upgrading continues, especially for the roaming facilities.

She continued that the company is shipping more new headsets soon, with better and high technology unique to those already on the market. However, an official explained that despite the record sale of headsets, the company’s target it to sell SIM cards.

Before switching to 3G technology, Rwandatel was operating under the traditional CDMA technology, which was has been inferior to international roaming between GSM users.

Currently the Company’s new technology can currently handle over 1 million subscribers. It is the second Telecommunication Company after MTN, which take a lion share of the local telecom market.

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