Published: 11 June 2013

KIGALI - Rwanda on Monday signed a deal with South Korea's largest telecoms provider, KT Corporation, to roll out high-speed 4G internet within three years.

Rwanda has laid more than 3,000km of fibreoptic cable since 2009. This is all in a bid to develop a service-based economy and for the country to become a regional leader in information and communications technology (ICT).

But critics say almost no large investor has come on board yet.

Rwanda's economy grew 9.4% in the 2011-12 fiscal year but only about 8.3% of the population have internet access at the moment, according to Rwandan officials.

Rwanda said KT would inject about $145m into a joint venture company responsible for rolling out a fast, 4G LTE (long-term evolution) network to 95% of Rwandans. Debt and vendor financing would also be needed.

"This agreement with KT marks a major milestone in Rwanda's drive to become a modern, knowledge-based economy," said Rwandan Youth and ICT Minister Jean Philbert Nsengimana. "By expanding our information infrastructure, we will create jobs, support social progress and propel economic growth."

Rwanda said the government's equity investment in the joint venture, which has a 25-year term, would consist of using its national fibreoptic cable, spectrum and wholesale-only operator licence.

Kigali also invited other mobile network operators to invest in the project and provide retail access to 4G LTE wireless broadband services to about 12-million Rwandans.

- Reuters

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