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Airtel Africa, a prominent provider of telecommunications and mobile money services operating in 14 African countries, has introduced the most cost-effective 4G smartphone in Rwanda. This initiative is conducted in collaboration with the Government of Rwanda, as part of the ConnectRwanda 2.0 program.
In alignment with this digital inclusion and empowerment endeavor by Airtel Africa, the objective is to furnish over 1 million individuals in Rwanda with advanced LTE smartphones by 2024.
Segun Ogunsanya, the Group CEO of Airtel Africa, announced this initiative during a press conference in Kigali ahead of the 2023 Mobile World Congress. He stated:
“We take great pride in participating in this transformative initiative, promising to reshape Rwanda’s digital landscape and offering more Rwandans an opportunity to envision. This partnership underscores our unwavering commitment to the Rwandan government’s digitalization drive and our conviction that digital empowerment is indispensable for socio-economic advancement. As this affordable smartphone becomes available in the market, new prospects for education, commerce, and connectivity will emerge, ultimately propelling economic growth and innovation.”
The affordable smartphone will be attainable at a price of 20,000 Rwandan Francs (equivalent to US$16.5), with a monthly fee of 1000 Rwandan Francs (equivalent to US$0.8).
Subscribers will also enjoy the benefit of 1GB of daily data and unlimited calls to any network in Rwanda, significantly enhancing the accessibility of connectivity.
Mr. Gordon Kalema, Rwanda’s Minister of ICT, represented by the Director General of Digital Transformation in the Ministry, emphasized that all government agencies have set a goal to digitize their operations by 2024. Therefore, this initiative is devised to facilitate the achievement of this ambitious objective.
He commended Airtel Africa for the successful launch of the 4G smartphone offering and for expressing confidence in Rwanda and the government’s digitalization vision. He also extended gratitude to Mr. Reed Hastings, the co-founder and Chairman of Netflix, whose generous contribution played a pivotal role in making this initiative a reality.
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