Broadband accessibility in rural areas

Broadband is expanding rapidly in Rwanda. With 6.4 active mobile-broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants, the country is ranked top in the East African region and seventh in Africa among nations with active mobile-broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants.A new report, released Sunday by UN Broadband Commission for Digital Development, ranked Rwanda 80th in the word.Overall, the country made headway in improving Information and Communication Technology (ICT) infrastructure over the last couple of years through heavy investments in the sector.But the report comes in the wake of calls from the Association of Microfinance Institutions in Rwanda (AMIR), appealing to authorities to improve infrastructure in rural areas, particularly in the ICT sector, to ease their operations there.This underlines a prevailing digital divide when comparing broadband coverage between urban and rural areas, where out of the 8.5 per cent internet subscription across the country, the biggest fraction lives in urban areas, mainly Kigali.Government targets internet subscription rate of 25 per cent over the next one year.By making broadband widely accessible and affordable in rural areas, government will be supporting businesses, mainly small and medium enterprises to grow and providing an enabling environment for new start-upsEstablished businesses, too, will find it cheaper to invest in such areas, thus helping to improve the country’s competitiveness as well boost standards of living.

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Broadband accessibility in rural areas