By Oumar Fedior, to Kigali
By presiding over the MWC Kigali 2023 which was held at the Kigali Convention Center in Rwanda, Rwandan President Paul Kagame reaffirmed the leadership that his country is conquering in the continent. His speech is strong. “We still have a long way to go. However, we already have the means to solve the problems we face today. We must continue to prioritize digital skills and literacy. Globally, we also see strong momentum towards Africa’s digital transformation.”An international event that saw the participation of representatives from government, business, emerging technologies and much more.
A diversity which says a lot about the issues of the day, as Mats Granryd points out. In a sub-Saharan region where the number of unique subscribers hovers around 490 million, but where only one in four people subscribe to mobile Internet, it is important to encourage synergy between policymakers and connectivity leaders to find ways to accelerate Africa’s digital transformation, close the usage gap and ultimately ensure that everyone in the region benefits, as Mats Granryd, Managing Director of the GSMA.
Rwanda takes on 5G and more
If today many African countries are starting to explore 5G, Rwanda is going further. “The Government of Rwanda and SoftBank Corp. (« SoftBank ») announced that on September 24, 2023, they successfully tested SoftBank’s proprietary 5G communications payload in the stratosphere installed on a high-altitude unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) (HAPS) powered by solar energy. prototype,” says a press release. In other words, the demonstration, conducted for HAPS research purposes in Rwandan airspace by SoftBank and the Government of Rwanda, marked the world’s first publicly announced delivery of 5G connectivity from a drone HAPS in the stratosphere*1. “SoftBank’s stratospheric communications payload continuously provided 5G connectivity for approximately 73 minutes in the stratosphere at a maximum altitude of 16.9 km and performed as expected in demanding atmospheric conditions,” continues the same source. In the same vein, SoftBank and the Ministry of Education of the Government of Rwanda signed a partnership agreement in June 2023 to provide education technology (EdTech) services in Rwanda using non-terrestrial network (NTN) solutions .
This test represents an important step towards bridging the digital divide
For Paula Ingabire, Minister of ICT and Innovation of the Republic of Rwanda, this test represents an important step towards bridging the digital divide and strengthening digital inclusion through innovative solutions. In his eyes, it constitutes the commitment to make Rwanda a premier global destination for pioneering and visionary individuals from around the world, where they can leverage our supportive policies and regulatory flexibility to explore cutting-edge innovations that meet the development challenges.
