Government encourages use of twitter

The Ministry in the President’s Office in Charge of Information Communication Technology (ICT) has embarked on a campaign to enable the public use tweeter social media network to keep in touch with customers and business partners.The campaign follows the newly introduced application dubbed ‘MTN Twitter SMS’, which allows MTN Rwanda subscribers to create a twitter account using their Mobile phone and as well as send tweets via SMS.Speaking to the Sunday Times yesterday, Felly Kalisa, Senior Expert in charge of Programme Implementation and Analysis at the Ministry in the President’s Office in Charge of ICT, said people can tweet using SMS on their mobile phones.“We want Rwandans who don’t have an opportunity to access internet services to tweet using sms,” he said.MTN’s service enables clients to send and receive twitter notifications or tweets and direct messages sent to their twitter account via SMS instantly.To activate the service, MTN subscriber is required to send a word ‘start’ to 3434. In case he/she doesn’t have a Twitter account, the subscriber is required to sign up to 3434.Kalisa stated that there is no need for people to have access to internet services to tweet; people can tweet wherever they are with smart or non smart phones.“We have talked to Tigo to introduce the application so that its subscribers can tweet using sms and they told us they are going to develop one,” he revealed.He pointed out that tweeting plays a key role in managing the social affairs sector in the country since people engage in interactive discussions on twitter that contribute to economic development.According to MTN Rwanda, the existing user on twitter is required to send a username to 3434 then later send the user password on the same number. Every SMS sent to 3434 is charged at Rwf10. Receiving SMS notifications from 3434 is free.