INFORMATION published by RURA recently indicate that mobile subscription in Rwanda has increased by an amazing 20 percent from March to June this year. RURA officials explained that mobile subscribers increased from 2,722,236 users to 3,293,891.

Basically this means that in a space of just three months the market has grown with an additional 571,655 subscribers.

There were two interesting highlights in the RURA figures. First it was worth noting that the tele-density, the number of telephone subscriptions per 100 people had increased and now stands at 31.7 percent.

While interpreting the figures, RURA announced that Tigo Rwanda, a company which started operations just a year ago, managed to attract an active subscriber’s base of 529,114, a figure representing 16.05 percent of the market.

Both highlights are quite impressive and show how the county’s telecom market has evolved. Previously Rwanda’s telecom industry struggled to attract 1 million subscribers in 10 years. Now the same industry is attracting half of that in a space of just three months. This shows that the country’s social and business activity is on a highway to rapid growth.

Mobile telephony is without doubt one of the most explosive developments ever to have taken place in the telecommunications industry. It offers enormous advantages, added convenience and most of all the ability to take advantage of ‘dead’ time to do business on the move.

All the three telecoms companies, MTN Rwanda, Rwandatel and Tigo have introduced products that offer those kinds of conveniences. And now that Rwanda targets some 6 million subscribers by 2012 with probably a fourth telecom operator, the latest trends in the industry are definitely an inspiration.

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