Rwanda launches Icyerekezo satellite to connect rural schools to the internet - This Is Africa. Kigali Innovation City Set To Lead Rwanda And Africa's Digital Transformation. Rwanda’s Prime Minister Edouard Ngirente says the Kigali Innovation City (KIC) is set to have a Pan-African development impact both in terms of economic and human capital.
PM Ngirente was presenting Rwanda’s flagship project to institutional investors as well as regional and international development finance institutions on the margins of the Africa Investment Conference underway in South Africa. Kigali Innovation City (KIC) is a Private Public Partnership between the Government of Rwanda and Africa50. The KIC project consists of development and financing of a Digital Innovation Zone including Commercial and Retail complexes.
“Kigali Innovation City forms part of the Government of Rwanda’s Vision 2020 development program and National Strategy for Transformation 2017-2024. Rwanda's technology contest Ms Geek goes continental. Designed to inspire Rwandan girls to be a part of problem solving for the country using technology, and pursuing careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), Ms Geek Rwanda has been undoubtedly one of the country’s most successful initiatives in empowering the girl child in ICT to address societal problems through newly created applications.
The annual initiative has however risen beyond just being a Rwandan competition to the continental level. This year, Girls in ICT Rwanda in partnership with Smart Africa secretariat expanded the competition to all its member states to crown the first ever Ms. Geek Africa. Applications are currently ongoing in the transform Africa member states where the top 17 aged between 13 and 25 shall be selected by Girls in ICT and Smart Africa Secretariat.
The member states include: Rwanda, Kenya, Uganda, Angola, Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire, Chad, Gabon, Mali, Senegal, South Sudan, Benin, Djibouti, Egypt, Guinea, Niger and Togo. Ms. Rwanda : le pays le plus connecté d’Afrique. Vanu Rwanda, filiale de la compagnie américaine de téléphonie mobile Vanu Inc.
USA, prévoit d’implanter 376 antennes-relais de téléphonie mobile d’ici la fin de l’année; elles couvriront environ un million de personnes dans les régions rurales, zones qui jusqu’à présent n’avaient jamais été connectées. Aujourd’hui Vanu Rwanda ne compte que 10 antennes relais, mais grâce à ce projet, les Rwandais vivant dans les localités éloignées pourront bénéficier d’une connectivité d’aussi bonne qualité que les personnes habitant dans des villes développées.
Le Rwanda sera alors le pays le plus connecté d’Afrique. Afin de concrétiser ce projet, Vanu a obtenu une licence auprès de l’autorité rwandaise de régulation des services d’utilité publique afin de pouvoir utiliser le spectre des radiofréquences et fournir aux opérateurs mobiles un service très performant visant à atteindre les consommateurs les plus éloignés. Airtel Rwanda est le premier opérateur à utiliser ce service de Vanu. Sur le même thème. Rwandans to apply for loans on mobile phones. More and more financial institutions are increasingly turning to information and communication technologies (ICTs) to facilitate their operations as well as deliver new products to customers.
The trend is also aimed at increasing access to services and further deepening financial inclusion, according to sector analysts. On this front, Rwandans could soon be able to apply and receive startup capital and other types of soft loans on their mobile phones, thanks to KCB Bank Rwanda’s new mobile banking platform, which will also allow non-KCB customers to open bank accounts, apply and receive loans directly on their mobile phones. According to Maurice Toroitich, the managing director, the banking solution is currently under the pilot phase.
Rwanda: New Facility to Lower Cost of Internet, Enhance Security. By Julius Bizimungu A new facility that strives to break communication barriers in Rwanda and eventually across the East African region through reduced communication cost has been launched in the country.
The Rwanda Internet Exchange Point (RINEX), launched at Telecom House in Kigali, yesterday, was financed by the African Union Commission, through its flagship project, the African Internet Exchange System (AXIS). The Minister for Youth and ICT, Jean-Philbert Nsengimana, said the plan is to continue expanding its operational capabilities and it will soon grow into a regional internet exchange point for Eastern Africa. Rwanda Turns To Online Processing Of Land Titles.
Land registration official in the field documenting details of land parcels Rwanda has digitalized processing for land titles significantly reducing the period from two months to only five working days.
The country is making it possible for every land transaction to be conducted online as a way of wiping out queues at administrative offices and banks and also saving time. “For a maximum of five working days, a buyer who fulfills required information gets the title lease,” says Odette Mpungirehe, Communication officer at Rwanda Natural Resources Authority/ Land and Mapping Unit. Government affirms operation of fingerprint scanning devices – Tanzania – The Exchange. 6 Shares Share Tweet Email The government has confirmed that it will put into operation the fingerprint scanning devices at police stations countrywide within the three-month ultimatum given by the National Assembly.
Rwanda, l’administration s'informatise - Pouvoirs d'Afrique. Rwanda enters into partnership with Ericsson to develop mobile finance and m-commerce - Ecofin Agency. (Ecofin Agency) - On the sidelines of the World Economy Forum on Africa held in Kigali, Rwanda, from May 11 to May 13, Rwanda has signed with Ericsson an agreement to boost m-commerce and expand Mobile Money service.
The country with the help of the Sweden Company will develop a national interoperability switch which is based on Ericsson’s M-commerce Interconnect solution. The platform developed will connect financial and payment services providers within the country. Rwanda: Mobile Apps to Ease Public Service Delivery. Rwanda: Regional Farmers to Benefit From Online Trading Platform.
By Athan Tashobya.
Government services in Rwanda to go digital. New portal to ease access to information on land. NEWTIMES.CO.RW: The public will no longer have to dig into documents and move from one place to another for information about land use, following the launch of the National Land Use Portal.
Rwanda National Resources Authority (RNRA) said the portal is the first of its kind in Africa. Eng. Didier Giscard Sagashya, deputy director-general for land and mapping at RNRA, made the remarks at the launch of the portal in Kigali yesterday. The portal was launched together with Rwanda Base Map, which consists of information about already existing features in the country.
New Mobile App Cuts Money Transfer Rates For Rwandan Diaspora. For years, Gloria Muteteri, a Rwandan college student, endured long queues at the Western Money agent, to receive her tuition fees from a relative living in canada. She lined up again and again. And after going through the agonizing wait, she had to deposit the fees on the college’s account number in a bank. “That often means I have to line up again and again…it’s more like double work,” explains Muteteri. Apart from the usual long queues, Western Union, MoneyGram and other money transfer agencies have made quite a fortune, worth of service fee from their respective clients. Mixed reactions as cashless bus fare payment is rolled out in Kigali. Last week, the City of Kigali rolled out an e-fare payment system for public transport users on selected city routes, like the Kanombe-Kigali route. The move is part of its Smart Kigali initiative and efforts geared at green development by cutting down on paper production which hurts the environment.