Recently, many people have adopted a new kind of phone technology known as Bluetooth; a wireless trouble-free communication technology that helps one receive calls to the mobile phone placed at a distant location.

The Bluetooth earpiece helps one to pick calls without holding the phone to the ear. In fact one does not need to hold the handset in order to receive calls.

With Bluetooth technology, one can exchange information between other devices like laptops, printers and digital cameras.

According to Prudence Niyosenga a phone dealer with Midcom International in down town Kigali, Bluetooth can be used within a given radius depending on the type and power of the handset.

Niyosenga says that one can communicate easily while driving without the necessity of holding the phone to the ear.

This, he adds, is an advantage Bluetooth offers to motorists because it can help them avoid motor accidents attributed to phone calls. For one to use Bluetooth, it requires a mobile phone handset that has the Bluetooth function.

"You just have to activate the function and then be able to use it without any problem.”

Midcom International’s Kigali branch started selling the Bluetooth accessory two years ago. Niyosenga says that during this period of marketing Bluetooth phone accessories, it is mostly well to do people who have shown interest in the technology.

Most phones with Bluetooth function are very expensive than the ordinary phone used by many people. This partly explains why it is the well to do who buy the accessory. The cheapest phone available at Midcom International with capacity to support the Bluetooth function is Nokia 3110 that costs Frw119000.

In most cases the Bluetooth ear piece is sold separate from the phone. Prices range from Frw45000 to Frw100000. These Bluetooth earpieces can be used on phones like Nokia 53300 which costs Frw213000 and Nokia 6688 which goes for Frw219000.

Both types of phones are available at Midcom out lets in Kigali. Some other categories of Bluetooth have music which can be played upon activation of the function.

Niyosenga says that all Bluetooth pieces must be charged with electricity before use. A mini survey on Kigali streets indicates that a number of people are very much aware of the Bluetooth technology for mobile users.

Innocent Kabanda, 24, a student at the Kigali Institute of Science and Technology KIST, says he would love to posses a phone that has the Bluetooth function. However, as a student he can not afford, but he hopes to get it in future when he starts working.

"It is cool to have Bluetooth … It sets you apart from the crowd,” says Innocent. This in a way makes Bluetooth a fashionable tool among some people.

At the Midcom International, there are also a number of mobile phones that come with the Bluetooth pieces as part of the entire package.

Niyosenga says that if you buy a Nokia E90 mobile phone, you are also given the Bluetooth set for use with your phone.

This particular phone is quite expensive for most Rwandans. It costs Frw799000. Other phones like the Nokia 8600 and 8800 that go for Frw549000 and Frw649000 respectively also are sold with the Bluetooth piece at Midcom outlets.

Contact: frank2kagabo@yahoo.com