Mobile, internet penetration on agenda ahead of Mobile World Congress

Measures and policies needed to accelerate mobile penetration and internet coverage in Africa will be some of the key talking points during the Mobile World Congress 2022. This was announced by Yves Iradukunda, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of ICT and Innovation, on October 17, during a press briefing on the conference organised by the Global Systems of Mobile Associations. The conference slated for October 25 to 27 in Kigali will convene more than 2000 people including global mobile operators, device manufacturers, technology providers, vendors and content owners, policymakers, and more. According to the official, more than 50 countries will be represented at the congress taking place for the first time in Africa. “As a country that seeks to position itself as a leading ICT Hub on the continent and trendsetter in digital transformation, with broadband connectivity that is a key competitive differentiator, hosting the MWCA is a strategic avenue to achieve this goal,” Iradukunda said. This meeting comes at a time when Rwanda is trying to bridge the gap of the unconnected in line with having productive discussions with broadband sellers, he noted. “Our focus will also be on making sure citizens access smart gadgets that allow them to use the internet for different services. But we miss the point if we don't invest in digital literacy.” Iradukunda disclosed that they are going to deploy 1,500 digital ambassadors across the country to make sure that digital skills increase as access to gadgets increases. Currently, internet connectivity in Rwanda stands at 60.6 percent of the entire population while mobile penetration is at 81.4 percent. According to the State of Mobile Internet Connectivity report of 2021, In Sub-Saharan Africa, only 28 per cent of the population are connected to broadband, 19 per cent are not covered with mobile internet and the usage gap is as high as 53 per cent. This is mainly due to limited affordability. The congress will also feature the AfricaNenda Launch of the State of Instant and Inclusive Payment Systems in Africa Report and a Mobile for Development Program that seeks to reach women and underserved groups at scale. Creating partnerships “The kind of partnerships that we need for the continent are the ones that enable our people to create the right content...this is an industry that needs experience sharing and most importantly, to attract investments from different participants who are able to drive mobile connectivity further,” noted Iradukunda. He emphasized that this is a great opportunity for players in the industry to engage and form adequate partnerships for the desired connectivity solutions in Rwanda and the continent at large. On the forefront, Rwanda has ongoing projects that it will table at the conference for investment, such as the $200 million Rwanda Digital Acceleration Project that seeks to avail affordable smartphones, and Last Mile Connectivity that focuses on internet access in schools and hospitals, among others.

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Mobile, internet penetration on agenda ahead of Mobile World Congress