Rwanda has the most affordable internet on the continent

The Alliance for Affordable Internet (A4AI) has ranked Rwanda as the African country with the most affordable internet. The Alliance announced the rankings at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain. 

In the ‘Affordability Report’, countries are ranked according to various drivers such as effective broadband structures, enhanced competition, spectrum allocation, and infrastructure sharing models.

Rwanda tops the continental list with an overall composite score of 52, followed by Nigeria and Morocco. Uganda and Kenya are also on the list.

Commenting on the report, Rwanda’s Minister of Youth and ICT, Jean Philbert Nsengimana hailed the country’s effective policies as the bedrock of ICT sector’s success: “The country’s broadband connectivity has become a key competitive differentiator in the global economy. We have made significant progress already for the widespread adoption of ICT, particularly in sectors such as health, education, agriculture, as well as business and finance.”

The ‘Affordability Report’ looks at the state of broadband policy across 51 developing and emerging economies.

Sonia Jorge, the Executive Director of A4AI, said: “The good news is that a clear roadmap to progress has emerged to embrace broadband. Global experience has delivered a set of policies and principles which – when implemented in an integrated fashion and combined with strong leadership – can deliver real change, fast. We urge policy makers in all countries to follow these recommendations.”

Rwanda aspires to become a knowledge-driven, middle income country by 2020, with ICT as a central engine to fast-track the country’s transformation. Initiatives like Smart Rwanda are driving this transformation by providing affordable internet.

A4AI is the world’s broadest technology sector coalition with over 70 members, including technology corporations Google, Microsoft, Yahoo, Facebook, and Ericson.

UM– USEKE.RW