Clients upbeat on Wibro services

Following the installation of Kigali Wireless Broadband (Wibro) technology, clients currently using it have expressed their satisfaction with the services. The technology which was developed by a Korean firm, Korea Telecom (KT), provides high quality, affordable and reliable broadband services to homes and businesses alike to stimulate the private sector. Speaking to The New Times yesterday, Benjamin Mushabe, the director of IT at Digitech Solutions, a local firm, said that wireless technology is currently working soundly on high speed internet. “I don’t know what will happen in future, but so far, the connection is good, stable, and reliable. We have been using it for the last eight months and it is working much better compared to MTN, Tigo and RwandaTel Wimax broadband services,” he added. Kigali Wibro currently charges a monthly fee of Rwf 20,000 for single users and Rwf 30,000 for multiple users. Mushabe stated that Wibro technology is cheaper compared to MTN and Rwandatel adding that both telecom companies charge a monthly fee of Rwf 40,000 and Rwf 45,000 respectively while their USB modems operate on only one computer. “Right now, we are using one modem for Wibro services where our 40 employees in the whole building are connected and for the case of MTN, Tigo and Rwandatel, you pay a lot for a single person. We find Wibro affordable compared to their services,” he emphasised. According to Antoine Sebera, the acting CEO of Broadband Systems Corporation Limited (BSC Ltd), the Internet Service Provider (ISP) managing Kigali Wibro, they have been providing services to a number of clients on a test run. “The test phase has now ended and, effective this month, BSC Ltd has begun to commercialise the service,” he added. Sebera explained that Rwanda was one of the first adopters of mobile Wimax adding that more ISP companies are investing in Wimax business in the country. “There is a significant interest in Wibro services from various customer segments and we expect to rapidly grow our current number of subscribers,” he said. He added that with the commercialisation of services, they would communicate the number of subscribers. “We will also be providing key statistics to the regulatory agency on a regular basis,” he said. One of the users of Wibro, Albert Rudatsimburwa, the Chief Executive of Contact FM, said its connectivity was reliable while the price was reasonable. “We are satisfied with the charges we pay every month because the telecom companies have been charging us a lot. Wibro is affordable and the internet connection is stable,” he stated. Geoffrey Kayonga, the CEO of Rwanda Information Communication Technology Association (RICTA), observed that since Wibro is commercial, it would spur competition in the sector, which is healthy. “The charges are very friendly and affordable to individuals and companies,” he noted. Ends

National

Clients upbeat on Wibro services