Just a few weeks ago Rwanda caused a stir in the African tech space when it announced it would commission its first phone factory in April. Now in its bid to continue to set the pace for a revolution in the African tech ecosystem, the Rwanda government through its minister of ICT and Innovation, Paula Ingabire has revealed it has launched a satellite that will provide broadband internet to schools in remote areas.
The satellite, tagged ‘Icyerekezo’ by students of Groupe Secondaire St Pierre Nkombo in Nkombo Island was launched into orbit from a spaceport on the Atlantic coast of French Guiana today, Wednesday, 27 February 2019 at around 23:30 pm. The satellite was designed by UK-based Company, OneWeb.
According to a report by The African Exponent, Groupe Secondaire St Pierre Nkombo will be the first school to benefit from the broadband satellite.
The location of the school (on Nkombo Island in Lake Kivu) had made it extremely costly and inefficient to be connected to standard fiber connections readily available in the country, and a satellite is a perfect solution to provide them with internet connectivity.
As part of the project, One Web will ensure that other schools across different regions are connected to the satellite and provide internet access across remote areas.
According to the UK- based company, the Rwandan satellite is part of the first six initial satellites the company will be launching. The company is supported by some of the major players in the space industry and finance, including Virgin, Qualcomm, Airbus and Soft Bank of Japan. It also hopes to roll out 650 satellites across the world to connect schools, hospitals, and other basic facilities.
Speaking on the ‘Icyerekezo’ project, the Minister of ICT and Innovation, Paula Ingabire said that the government has made remarkable efforts to invest in broadband connectivity and believed the satellite is proof of government’s commitment to continue connecting underserved communities.
“Rwanda’s choice to invest in space technologies is part of our broader mission to bridge the digital divide by providing equal digital opportunities to 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.”
The Founder and Chairman of OneWeb, Greg Wyler also said, “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.”
