The Government,yesterday awarded a mobile phone operating license to Bharti Airtel,, making the Indian-based company the third mobile telecommunications service provider after MTN Rwanda and TIGO.

Airtel’s entry marks a significant step in the evolution of Rwanda's telecoms sector and indeed comes as good news for the consumers who will have more choices on the market to pick from.

Once it launches, Bharti Airtel will increase the level of the already existing competition among the service providers as they scramble for the existing and new subscribers.

The telecoms regulatory body, Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Agency (RURA), targets to have six million mobile phone subscribers by the year 2012.

According to statistics from RURA, among the two existing service providers, currently, there are slightly over four million subscribers.

For RURA’s target to be achieved, the telecom companies need to design realistic and attainable strategies that capture the millions left unconnected, especially in the rural areas.

In the recent past, we have witnessed positive trends with companies repositioning themselves to offer better and attractive services to their clientele.

With the entry of Airtel, Rwandans can brace themselves for a revolution within the telecoms sector that will eventually translate into affordable, reliable and innovative products on the market, which will help expand the subscription base in the industry.

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