View source for Telecommunications in Rwanda

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{{Use British English|date=December 2025}} 
{{use dmy dates|date=December 2025}}

'''Telecommunications in Rwanda''' include radio, television, fixed and mobile telephony, and the Internet. The sector was liberalized in 2001, moving away from a state-dominated market and opening the sector to private participation.<ref name="UNECA-DTRI">{{Cite report|title=Digital Trade Regulatory Integration, Country Profile: Rwanda|publisher=United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), African Trade Policy Centre|url=https://www.uneca.org/sites/default/files/ATPC/cp/Digital%20trade%20regulatory%20integration%20-%20Country%20profile%20-%20Rwanda-%20ENG.pdf|date=2023|access-date=2025-12-23|language=en}}</ref>

==Regulation==
Telecommunications policy, regulation, and implementation are led by separate public institutions:

* '''Policy:''' The '''Ministry of ICT and Innovation''' (MINICT) leads national ICT policy and sector strategy.<ref name="MINICT-About">{{Cite web|title=About the Ministry of ICT and Innovation|url=https://www.minict.gov.rw/about|publisher=Ministry of ICT and Innovation|access-date=2025-12-23}}</ref>
* '''Regulation:''' The '''Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Authority''' (RURA) functions as the industry regulator. Its mandate includes issuing licenses, managing the frequency spectrum, and enforcing compliance. The organization has administrative and financial autonomy, though its board members and Director General are appointed by the government.<ref name="RURA-ICT-Overview">{{Cite web|title=ICT Sector Overview|url=https://www.rura.rw/sectors/ict/overview|publisher=Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Authority (RURA)|access-date=2025-12-23}}</ref> Members of RURA's Regulatory Board are appointed by presidential order, as provided in its establishing law.<ref name="RURA-Law-2013">{{Cite web|title=Law Nº 09/2013 establishing Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Authority (RURA) and determining its mission, powers, organisation and functioning|url=https://rwandalii.org/akn/rw/act/law/2013/9/eng%402013-04-08|publisher=RwandaLII|date=2013-04-08|access-date=2025-12-23}}</ref>
* '''Implementation:''' The '''Rwanda Information Society Authority''' (RISA) is a public institution established in 2017 that coordinates and implements government ICT programmes and digital infrastructure initiatives, including Smart Rwanda Master Plan projects.<ref name="RISA-Overview">{{Cite web|title=Overview|url=https://www.risa.gov.rw/about/overview|publisher=Rwanda Information Society Authority (RISA)|access-date=2025-12-23}}</ref>

Following liberalization, the market structure changed significantly:
* The insolvent former operator [[Rwandatel]] went into liquidation, and its assets, including copper and fibre network infrastructure, were acquired by '''[[Liquid Telecom Group|Liquid Intelligent Technologies]]''' (then Liquid Telecom) in 2013.<ref name="NewTimes-Rwandatel-2013">{{Cite web|title=Liquid Telecom acquires Rwandatel assets|url=https://www.newtimes.co.rw/article/93378/National/liquid-telecom-acquires-rwandatel-assets|work=The New Times|date=2013-06-03|access-date=2025-12-23}}</ref>
* As of 2025, the mobile telecommunications market is dominated by two operators, '''[[MTN Rwanda]]''' and '''[[Airtel Africa|Airtel Rwanda]]'''.<ref name="RURA-Q2-2025"/>

==Radio and television==
{{See also|Media of Rwanda}}

* [[Radio broadcasting|Radio stations]]:
** As of September 2024, there are over 34 licensed FM radio stations operating in the country.<ref name="RURA-Broadcasting-2024">{{Cite web|title=List of FM and TV stations operating in Rwanda and their approximate coverage as of 10th September, 2024|url=https://www.rura.rw/fileadmin/user_upload/RURA/Documents/Sectors/ICT/Sector_Reports/Report_on_List__of_FM_and_TV_stations_operating_in_Rwanda.pdf|publisher=Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Authority (RURA)|date=2024-09-10|access-date=2025-12-23}}</ref>
** Major players include the state-owned [[Radio Rwanda]] (with 99% national coverage), and private commercial stations such as Radio 10, Flash FM, KT Radio, and Isango Star.
** International broadcasters such as the [[BBC World Service]] (93.9 FM in Kigali) and [[Voice of America]] (104.3 FM in Kigali) are available on FM frequencies.<ref name="RURA-Broadcasting-2024"/>
** Radio remains the primary source of information for the majority of the population. According to the 2022 Census, approximately 82% of agricultural households use radio for information.<ref name="NISR-Agri-2022">{{Cite web|title=Fifth Rwanda Population and Housing Census, 2022: Thematic Report on Agriculture|url=https://www.statistics.gov.rw/sites/default/files/documents/2025-02/RPHC5%20Thematic%20Report_Agriculture.pdf|publisher=National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda (NISR)|date=2023-07-01|access-date=2025-12-23}}</ref>

* [[Television broadcasting|Television stations]]:
** The government monopoly on television ended with digital migration. As of 2024, there are multiple private television stations including Flash TV, TV10, Isango Star TV, and Genesis TV, alongside the state-owned [[Rwanda Television]] (RTV).<ref name="RURA-Broadcasting-2024"/>
** '''Digital Migration:''' Rwanda completed the transition from analog to digital terrestrial television (DTT) on July 31, 2014, becoming one of the first countries in sub-Saharan Africa to do so.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Over 51,000 TV sets to be switched off today as digital migration process ends|url=https://www.newtimes.co.rw/article/109677/News/over-51000-tv-sets-to-be-switched-off-today-as-digital-migration-process-ends|work=The New Times|date=2014-07-31}}</ref>
** '''Pay TV:''' The market is dominated by satellite and DTT pay-TV providers. In 2024, [[Canal+ Afrique|Canal+]] held approximately 71% of the active subscriber market share, followed by Star Africa Media (17%) and Tele 10/DStv (11%).<ref>{{Cite web|title=Rwanda: Can Pay-TV Survive the Streaming Onslaught?|url=https://allafrica.com/stories/202506250235.html|publisher=AllAfrica|date=2025-06-25|access-date=2025-12-23}}</ref>

* [[Television set]]s:
** Ownership has risen significantly from negligible levels in the 1990s. The 2022 Census reported that '''12% of private households''' own a television set, with ownership concentrated in urban areas (approx. 33.5% in urban vs 4.4% in rural).<ref name="NISR-Main-2022">{{Cite web|title=Fifth Rwanda Population and Housing Census, 2022: Main Indicators Report|url=https://www.statistics.gov.rw/sites/default/files/documents/2025-02/RPHC5_MainIndicatorsReport_Final.pdf|publisher=National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda (NISR)|date=2023-02-01|access-date=2025-12-23}}</ref>

State TV and radio (RBA) continue to reach the largest audiences due to their national infrastructure, but private media consumption is high in Kigali and secondary cities. "Hate media" remains a sensitive historical subject due to the role of [[Radio Télévision Libre des Mille Collines]] (RTLM) in the [[Rwandan genocide|1994 genocide]].<ref name=BBCNews-RwandaProfile-2012>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-14093244 "Rwanda profile: Media"], ''BBC News'',30 October 2012. Retrieved 6 February 2014.</ref>

==Telephones==
[[File:SEACOM Network Map.jpg|thumb|SEACOM-Network Map. Click on map to enlarge.]]
{{See also|Telephone numbers in Rwanda}}

* [[Calling code]]: +250<ref name=CIAWFB-Rwanda-2024>{{Cite web|title=Rwanda - The World Factbook|url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/rwanda/|publisher=Central Intelligence Agency|access-date=2024-12-23}}</ref>
* [[List of international call prefixes|International call prefix]]: 000<ref>[http://www.itu.int/dms_pub/itu-t/opb/sp/T-SP-E.164C-2011-PDF-E.pdf ''Dialing Procedures (International Prefix, National (Trunk) Prefix and National (Significant) Number) (in Accordance with ITY-T Recommendation E.164 (11/2010))''], Annex to ITU Operational Bulletin No. 994-15.XII.2011, International Telecommunication Union (ITU, Geneva), 15 December 2011. Retrieved 2 January 2014.</ref>
* Main lines:
** 11,215 lines in use, 188th in the world (2019)<ref name=CIAWFB-Rwanda-2014>[https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/rwanda/ "Communications: Rwanda"], ''World Factbook'', U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, 28 January 2014. Retrieved 6 February 2014.</ref>
** Fixed lines subscriptions have dropped sharply since 2014<ref>{{Cite web|title=Fixed telephone subscriptions (per 100 people) - Rwanda {{!}} Data|url=https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/IT.MLT.MAIN.P2?locations=RW&most_recent_value_desc=false|access-date=2021-05-04|website=data.worldbank.org}}</ref>
** [[Airtel Africa|Airtel Rwanda]] controls over 80% of the market<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|last=Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Authority|title=STATISTICS REPORT FOR TELECOM, MEDIA AND BROADCASTING SECTOR AS OF THE FOURTH QUARTER OF THE YEAR 2020|url=https://rura.rw/fileadmin/Documents/ICT/statistics/Report_for_ICT_Telecom_Statistics_report_as_of_December_2020.pdf|access-date=2021-05-04}}</ref>
* Mobile cellular:
** 13.4 million active subscriptions (September 2024).<ref name="RURA-Q3-2024">{{Cite web|title=Mobile-cellular telephone subscriptions report as of September 2024|url=https://www.rura.rw/index.php?eID=dumpFile&t=f&f=121592&token=db85c1a4a710b1c024f53931326e883347a2c092#:~:text=As%20of%20September%202024%2C%20Rwanda's,as%20illustrated%20in%20Figure%201.|publisher=Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Authority (RURA)|date=2024-09-30|access-date=2024-12-23}}</ref>
** Mobile penetration is approximately 97.8 active SIM cards per 100 inhabitants.<ref name="RURA-Q3-2024"/>
** The market is a duopoly: [[MTN Rwanda]] holds approximately 61.8% of the market, while [[Airtel Africa|Airtel Rwanda]] holds 38.2% (2024).<ref name="RURA-Q3-2024"/>
* Telephone system:
** A rapidly modernizing system anchored by a national fiber-optic backbone (over 3,000 km) and 4G LTE connectivity.
** The government-sponsored [[fiber-optic cable]] rollout was largely completed by 2011, and 4G LTE coverage now reaches over 97% of the population (2024).<ref name="MINICT-2024">{{Cite web|title=Connect Rwanda 2.0 and Digital Infrastructure Status|url=https://www.minict.gov.rw/news-detail/what-you-should-know-about-connect-rwanda-campaign|publisher=Ministry of ICT and Innovation|access-date=2024-12-23}}</ref> 5G services were commercially launched in June 2025.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Rwanda launches 5G internet|url=https://www.newtimes.co.rw/article/27117/news/featured/mtn-rwanda-begins-5g-network-rollout|work=The New Times|date=2025-06-10}}</ref>
** Domestic connectivity relies heavily on the mobile cellular network; fixed-line density is less than 1 telephone per 100 persons.
* [[List of international submarine communications cables|Communications cables]]: landlocked; international connectivity provided via terrestrial fiber links to regional submarine cable landing points, including [[EASSy (cable system)|Eastern Africa Submarine Cable System]] (EASSy), [[TEAMS (cable system)|The East African Marine System]] (TEAMS), and [[SEACOM (African cable system)|SEACOM]] (via Kenya and Tanzania).<ref name=CIAWFB-Rwanda-2024/>
* [[Communications satellite|Satellite earth stations]]:
** [[Starlink]] began operating in Rwanda in February 2023, providing low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite broadband services.<ref>{{cite web |title=Rwanda Launches Starlink Satellite Internet |url=https://www.cnbcafrica.com/media/6320977012112/rwanda-launches-starlink-satellite-internet |website=CNBC Africa |date=22 February 2023 |access-date=23 December 2025}}</ref>
** Rwanda Space Agency’s Teleport and satellite ground station in Mwulire (Rwamagana District) is intended to support satellite communications and ground-station services (e.g., telemetry, tracking, and command).<ref name="RSA-brochure">{{Cite web|title=Rwanda Space Agency Brochure|url=https://space.gov.rw/Rwanda_Space_Agency_Brochure.pdf|publisher=Rwanda Space Agency|access-date=2025-12-23}}</ref><ref name="ForbesAfrica-2024">{{Cite web|title=Rwanda’s Emerging Space Sector And Its Global Contributions|url=https://www.forbesafrica.com/brand-voice/2024/04/22/rwandas-emerging-space-sector-and-its-global-contributions/|publisher=Forbes Africa|date=2024-04-22|access-date=2025-12-23}}</ref>
** A commercial ground-station antenna in Mwulire was activated in July 2025 to support space and weather monitoring missions (including COSMIC-2 data delivery for NOAA).<ref name="SatelliteToday-2025">{{Cite web|title=Atlas Space Operations Adds to Ground Network With Rwanda Antenna|url=https://www.satellitetoday.com/technology/2025/07/16/atlas-space-operations-adds-to-ground-network-with-rwanda-antenna/|publisher=Via Satellite|date=2025-07-16|access-date=2025-12-23}}</ref>

==Internet==

* [[Top-level domain]]: [[.rw]]
* [[List of countries by number of Internet users|Internet users]]:
** 5.5 million individual users, ~38% of the population (Mid-2025);<ref name="ITU-2025">{{Cite web|title=Rwanda Reaches 38% Internet Penetration But Faces Cost Hurdles|url=https://www.dabafinance.com/en/news/rwanda-digital-inclusion-connectivity-cost-barriers-itu-data-2025|publisher=Daba Finance/ITU|date=2025-06-16|access-date=2025-12-23}}</ref>
** 10.1 million active mobile internet subscriptions (2025);<ref name="RURA-Q2-2025">{{Cite web|title=ICT Sector Statistics Report for Second Quarter of 2025|url=https://www.rura.rw/index.php?eID=dumpFile&t=f&f=147480&token=f5d6725743614952f9dde682f06c2369ea137f0c|publisher=Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Authority (RURA)|date=2025-06-30|access-date=2025-12-23}}</ref>
** 2.65 million users, 21.7% of the population (2018);<ref name="CIAWFB-Rwanda-2014" />
** 450,000 users, 59th in the world (2009);
** 25,000 users (2002).
* [[List of countries by number of broadband Internet subscriptions|Fixed broadband]]: 86,173 subscriptions, approx. 120th in the world; 0.6% of the population (2025).<ref name="RURA-Q2-2025"/>
* [[List of countries by number of broadband Internet subscriptions|Wireless broadband]]: 10.1 million subscriptions, approx. 70% penetration rate (2025).<ref name="RURA-Q2-2025"/>
* [[List of countries by number of Internet hosts|Internet hosts]]: 313,186 hosts (2025).<ref name="IPinfo-2025">{{Cite web|title=Rwanda Network Information|url=https://ipinfo.io/countries/rw|publisher=IPinfo.io|access-date=2025-12-23}}</ref>
* [[List of countries by IPv4 address allocation|IPv4]]: 314,880 addresses allocated; 22.8 addresses per 1000 people (2025).<ref>{{Cite web|title=Rwanda IP Address Ranges|url=https://lite.ip2location.com/rwanda-ip-address-ranges|publisher=IP2Location|access-date=2025-12-23}}</ref>
* [[Internet Service Provider]]s: 2 Telecommunication Operators (MNOs), 4 Internet Service Providers (ISPs), 1 Wholesaler Network Service Provider, 2 Network Facility Providers, and 23 Retailer Internet Service Providers (2025).<ref name="RURA-Overview">{{Cite web|title=ICT Sector Overview|url=https://www.rura.rw/sectors/ict/overview|publisher=RURA|access-date=2025-12-23}}</ref>

Rwanda ranked in first place in Africa for broadband download speeds and 62nd globally with a speed of 7.88&nbsp;Mbit/s in February 2013.<ref name=FOTN-Rwanda-2013/>

The Internet has been available from mobile cellular phones since 2007, but the high cost of phones and limited bandwidth restrained its popularity for several years. With completion of the government-sponsored fiber-optic cable expansion project in 2011, telecommunication services throughout the country have improved and the amount of mobile cellular Internet access and use has increased.<ref name=FOTN-Rwanda-2013/>

In 2009, RURA set up the Rwanda Internet Exchange (RINEX) to connect ISPs and enable the routing of local Internet traffic through a central exchange point without having to pass through international networks. ISPs can also opt to connect via RINEX to the international Internet. As of late 2025, RINEX has grown to approximately 15 connected members, including major content providers and ISPs, a significant increase from just five members in 2013.<ref>{{Cite web|title=IXP Tracker: Rwanda|url=https://pulse.internetsociety.org/en/ixp-tracker/country/RW/|publisher=Internet Society Pulse|date=2025-12-23|access-date=2025-12-23}}</ref>

Internet access is concentrated in Kigali and other urban areas, and remains beyond the reach of many citizens, particularly in rural areas where low incomes and lower levels of digital literacy continue to limit adoption.<ref name="FH-FOTN-2024">{{Cite web|title=Rwanda: Freedom on the Net 2024 Country Report|url=https://freedomhouse.org/country/rwanda/freedom-net/2024|publisher=Freedom House|access-date=2025-12-23}}</ref> Rwanda remains predominantly rural; the 2022 Population and Housing Census reports that 72.1% of the population lives in rural areas.<ref name="NISR-RPHC2022-UrbanRural">{{Cite web|title=Population size and Population characteristics|url=https://www.statistics.gov.rw/statistical-publications/population-size-and-population-characteristics|publisher=National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda (NISR)|access-date=2025-12-23}}</ref> Language barriers also affect effective internet use, as much of the available online content is primarily in English rather than Kinyarwanda.<ref name="FH-FOTN-2024"/>

=== Digital Progress ===
The 2021 [[United Nations Development Programme|UNDP]] report highlights Rwanda's advancements in incorporating technology in education, specifically aiding students with disabilities. Smart [[e-learning]] technology, including smart boards and internet access, has been introduced to support students with visual and hearing impairments.<ref>{{Cite web |title=UNDP Rwanda Annual Report 2021 |url=https://www.undp.org/sites/g/files/zskgke326/files/migration/rw/RW_UNDP-Rwanda-Annual-Report-2021.pdf |website=United Nations Development Programme}}</ref>

===Internet censorship and surveillance===
{{See also|Human rights in Rwanda}}

Rwanda was rated "partly free" in ''Freedom on the Net 2013'' by [[Freedom House]] with a score of 48, somewhat past the midway point between the end of the range for "free" (30) and the start of the range for "not free" (60).<ref name=FOTN-Rwanda-2013>[http://www.freedomhouse.org/sites/default/files/resources/FOTN%202013_Rwanda.pdf "Country Report: Rwanda"], ''Freedom on the Net 2013'', Freedom House, 30 September 2013. Retrieved 6 February 2014.</ref>

The law does not provide for government restrictions on access to the Internet, but there are reports that the government blocks access to Web sites within the country that are critical of the government.<ref name=USDOS-CRHRP-Rwanda-2012>[https://2009-2017.state.gov/j/drl/rls/hrrpt/humanrightsreport/index.htm?year=2012&dlid=204156 "Rwanda"], ''Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2012'', Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, U.S. Department of State, 2 April 2013. Retrieved 6 February 2014.</ref>

In 2012 and 2013, some independent online news outlets and opposition blogs were intermittently inaccessible. It is uncertain whether the disruptions are due to government blocking, as was the case in past years, or to technical issues. Some opposition sites continue to be blocked on some ISPs in early 2013, including Umusingi and Inyenyeri News, which were first blocked in 2011. [[Social-networking]] sites such as [[YouTube]], [[Facebook]], [[Twitter]], and international [[blog hosting service]]s are freely available.<ref name=USDOS-CRHRP-Rwanda-2012/>

The websites of international human rights organizations such as [[Freedom House]], [[Amnesty International]], and [[Human Rights Watch]], as well as the online versions of media outlets such as the [[BBC]], [[Le Monde]], [[Radio France Internationale]], ''[[The New York Times]]'', and many others are freely accessible. Websites of national news outlets are also easily accessible. These include the web versions of state-run media and pro-government outlets as well as independent outlets such as The Rwanda Focus, Rushyashya, The Chronicles, Umusanzu, and Rwanda Dispatch.<ref name=USDOS-CRHRP-Rwanda-2012/>

The constitution provides for [[freedom of speech]] and [[freedom of the press|press]] "in conditions prescribed by the law." The government at times restricts these rights. The government intimidates and arrests journalists who express views that are deemed critical on sensitive topics. Laws prohibit promoting divisionism, genocide ideology, and genocide denial, "spreading rumors aimed at inciting the population to rise against the regime", expressing contempt for the Head of State, other high-level public officials, administrative authorities or other public servants, and slander of foreign and international officials and dignitaries. These acts or expression of these viewpoints sometimes results in arrest, harassment, or intimidation. Numerous journalists practice [[self-censorship]].<ref name=USDOS-CRHRP-Rwanda-2012/>

In June 2011 a court convicted journalist Jean Bosco Gasasira in absentia of displaying contempt for the head of state and incitement to civil disobedience for his writings in the online publication Umuvugizi and sentenced him to two and a half years in prison.<ref name=USDOS-CRHRP-Rwanda-2012/>

The constitution and law prohibit arbitrary interference with privacy, family, home, or correspondence; however, there are numerous reports the government monitors homes, telephone calls, [[e-mail]], Internet [[chat rooms]], other private communications, movements, and personal and institutional data. In some cases monitoring has led to detention and interrogation by State security forces (SSF).<ref name=USDOS-CRHRP-Rwanda-2012/>

== See also ==
* [[List of terrestrial fibre optic cable projects in Africa#Rwanda|Terrestrial fibre optic cable projects in Rwanda]]
* [[Media of Rwanda]]

==References==

* {{CIA World Factbook |year=2014}}
* {{US DOS |year=2010}}
{{reflist |30em}}

==External links==
* [http://www.ricta.org.rw/ Rwanda Information Communication and Technology Association] (RICTA), manager of the .rw domain.
* [http://www.rba.co.rw/ Rwanda Broadcasting Agency] (RBA), state-owned radio and television broadcaster.

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{{Africa topic|Telecommunications in}}
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{{Internet censorship by country}}

[[Category:Telecommunications in Rwanda| ]]