The government of Rwanda through Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Agency (RURA) is set to make a study on telecommunications interconnection charges in order to ensure reduction in calling rates across different telephone networks.
In telecommunications, interconnection is the physical linking of a carrier’s network with equipment or facilities not belonging to that network.
The announcement was made by Beata Mukangabo, the Director of Legal Affairs in RURA during a public discussion about mobile banking and electronic transactions in an event held at Telecom House in Kigali.
The discussion targeted all mobile banking and electronic transaction providers including banks, telecom companies and regulators.
“Interconnection charges are still high and this is a big challenge because you find a person holding over one telephone I order to avoid high call charges from one network to another,” Mukangabo pointed out.
She added RURA was dedicated to reducing interconnection charges ensuring that citizens enjoy favorable calling rates across all networks.
Mukangabo also challenged telecom providers to share infrastructure like towers in order to reduce costs on taxes so that calling rates can also be reduced and become favorable to all users.
Patrick Nyirishema, Head of IT in RDB said that at least 90% of households have mobile phones. He said it was a good step taken compared to the past years.
According to the statistics presented by the Minister in the Presidents’ office in charge of ICT, Dr. Inyansi Gatare said in 2009, Rwanda had a total of 2.4 million telecom users and had since increased to 4.3 million.
Dr. Gatare recommended the statistics saying there has been a great step forward by telephone users adding that as the number increases, better services should be increased and accessible to all Rwandans as well.
He challenged mobile banking and electronic transactions providers to increase awareness of the public as their ultimate objective for the increase of services.
The minister called upon for the proper partnership between service providers to make the initiative reach its target.
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