Rinchi
TechInAfrica – The Rwandan Government through the Ministry of Information Telecommunication, Technology, and Innovation has launched a satellite broadcaster to connect schools in remote areas to the internet. The initiative was taken in partnership with UK-based telecommunications company, One Web.
The satellite is named Icyerekezo that means Vision in English. With the satellite broadcaster, the Rwandan Government is committed to build the local space industry and capacity, as well as empower youths.
Rwanda Minister of ICT and Innovation, Paula Ingabire, said: “The government of Rwanda has made remarkable efforts to invest in broadband connectivity and sees this as a great opportunity to continue connecting underserved communities,”
She added, “Without a means of connection, economies stagnate, education falls behind, and development slows significantly compared to connected regions.”
Furthermore, the Ministry said that the initiative to invest in space technologies is part of Rwanda’s wider mission to provide the same opportunities in the digital sector for rural and remote communities.
“We are delighted to partner with OneWeb in this transformative initiative which presents us a huge opportunity to leverage satellite connectivity, using OneWeb’s constellation, providing low-latency and high-speed internet to schools in remote communities of Rwanda,” said Ingabire.
The partnership with OneWeb enables remote schools in Rwanda to connect with the fastest WiFi internet. Moreover, in the next three years, satellite technology is expected to connect all schools across the country.
According to Greg Wyler, the Founder and Chairman of OneWeb , connecting remote schools to bridge the digital gap and impacting half of the world population is one of OneWeb’s vision.
”We are delighted to partner with the Rwandan Government and particularly the students of Nkombo. The connectivity we can provide them will allow them to realize their dreams and allow Rwanda to become a hub for technological innovation,” said Wyler.
