FOCUS:Behold! The “Netizens” of Rwanda

With the fibre optic SEACOM cable that has connected East Africans to the rest of the world having been installed in Rwanda all the way from Mombasa via kampala to Gatuna, then being placed under ground to cover Kigali city and to major towns, the internet users (netizens) of Rwanda have all reason to rejoice. The rapid expansion of ICT in Rwanda will influence the way Rwanda will compete in international markets, ways of carrying out business in the country, ways in which societies interact, and the way they set their development agendas. The cable which is unlocking Africa’s internet potential will bring about an increase in investments in rural areas and landlocked African countries. Rwandans can now expect faster internet services, a reduction in the cost of accessing the internet, an end to the slow dial up connections and an end to the echo in long distance calls.Anything that saves time also saves money. Most people will find that this high speed internet connection will also save them money in the long term and the fast Internet will allow businesses to have much faster access to the Web. This in turn will enable more efficiency at work, they will cover twice or thrice as much work they did before the installation of the cable. Netizens will as well upload and download large files much faster. Not only will it benefit businessmen but also any other average user will find surfing the Web a much more educational and enjoyable experience when they use High Speed Internet. Rwanda Revenue Authority introduced a system where by tax payers save the time that they used to spend in endless queues while returning tax paying forms. Thanks to the internet, one can now fill the online form and send it within a fraction of a minute. This is a good initiative as it also reduces the rate of corruption in institutions. Many banks in Rwanda as well have introduced e-banking whereby a client can check his or her balance at the press of a button. How much more time and money will be saved, with the new fast and cheaper internet services? Sooner than later farmers who are upcountry will access the internet; vital information on methods of farming, ways on enhancing their farm produce and maybe with the right guidance, they will learn how to trade online. The SEACOM cable runs along the eastern seaboard of Africa, creating a digital superhighway that links South Africa, Mozambique, Tanzania and Kenya with Europe and South Asia. karuthum@gmail.com