Rwanda Telecoms Market Report

Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband - Statistics and Analyses

Publication Date: December 2023

Report Pages: 150

Analyst: Henry Lancaster

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Summary
Table Of Contents

Rwanda’s regulator secures m-money interoperability

Rwanda was slow to liberalise the mobile sector, allowing MTN a monopoly until 2006 when the fixed-line incumbent, Rwandatel (since acquired by Liquid Intelligence Technologies) became the second mobile operator. There was effective competition among three operators after Tigo launched services in 2009. However, the acquisition of Tigo by Airtel saw a significant consolidation in the market, and the cancellation of Rwandatel’s licence in 2011 resulted in the market becoming a duopoly between the dominant operator MTN and Airtel.

The fixed broadband sector has suffered from limited fixed-line infrastructure and high prices. Nevertheless, operators are rolling out national backbone networks which also allow them to connect to the international submarine cables on Africa’s east coast. These cables gave the entire region greater internet bandwidth and ended the dependency on satellites. Liquid Technologies has continued to expand its FttP services across Kigali and a number of other towns, while the country also has a new cable link with Tanzania, and via Tanzania’s national broadband backbone it has gained connectivity to the networks of several other countries in the region.

The number of subscribers on LTE infrastructure has increased sharply, helped by national LTE coverage achieved in mid-2018. Mobile remains the dominant platform for voice and data services. The regulator noted that the number of mobile subscribers increased 2.7% in 2021, year-on-year. However, there was a slight fall in the beginning of 2022, though this decline was entirely from Airtel.

Key developments:

Rwanda’s schools benefit from connection to One Web Satellite’s network;
Regulator tightens SIM card registration conditions;
Interoperability introduced between m-money platforms;
MTN invests in network upgrades, renews operating licence to July 2031;
Government commits to smart city infrastructure investment;
MNOs implement One Network Area scheme removing roaming charges;
Report update includes the regulator’s annual report for 2020-21, market data to January 2022, telcos’ operating data to Q4 2021, updated Telecom Maturity Index tables, charts and analyses, assessment of the global impact of the pandemic on the telecoms sector, recent market developments.

Companies mentioned in this report:

Rwandatel (Terracom, LapGreen); MTN Rwanda; Liquid Telecom; Tigo Rwanda (Millicom); Bharti Airtel; Artel Communications; Electrogaz

Key statistics
Regional Africa Market Comparison

Market characteristics
Market Leaders
Market Challengers
Market Emergents
TMI vs GDP
Mobile and mobile broadband penetration
Fixed versus mobile broadband penetration

Country overview
Covid-19 and its impact on the telecom sector

Economic considerations and responses
Subscribers
Infrastructure

Regulatory environment

Regulatory authority

Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Agency (RURA)
RITA and NICT

Fixed-line developments

Licensing
Market liberalisation
Third operator licence
Fourth operator licence
Interconnection
Universal access

Mobile network developments

Mobile Number Portability (MNP)
Tower infrastructure
Quality of Service (QoS)
One Area Network
SIM card registration

Telecommunications market

Historic overview
Market analysis

Mobile market

Market analysis
Mobile statistics
Mobile infrastructure

4G (LTE)
3G
Mobile satellite
Mobile data
Mobile broadband

Major mobile operators

MTN Rwanda
Rwandatel (formerly Terracom Mobile)
Tigo Rwanda
Airtel Rwanda

Mobile handsets
Mobile content and applications

Money transfer, m-banking

Fixed-line broadband market

Introduction
Broadband statistics
Rwanda Internet Exchange Point (RIXP)
Cybercafes and telecentres
One Laptop per Child (OLPC)
Other initiatives
Fixed-line broadband technologies

Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) networks
Fibre-to-the-Premises (FttP) networks
Other fixed broadband services

Digital Economy

E-government
E-health
E-learning
Cloud services

Fixed network operators

Liquid Telecom

Privatisation
Network infrastructure
Wireless local loop (WLL)

Artel Communications

Telecommunications infrastructure

Overview of the national telecom network

Liquid (Rwandatel/Terracom)
Electrogaz
MTN Rwanda

International infrastructure

VSAT
Smart Africa Alliance
The East Africa Backhaul System (EABS)
Submarine cables

Appendix – Historic data
Glossary of abbreviations
Related reports

List of Tables

Table 1 – Top Level Country Statistics and Telco Authorities – Rwanda – 2021 (e)
Table 2 – Decline in termination rates by service (RWF per minute/SMS) – 2017 – 2019
Table 3 – Development of telecom sector investment – 2012 – 2021
Table 4 – Development of telecom sector revenue – 2012 – 2021
Table 5 – Change in the number of prepaid and contract mobile subscribers (thousand) – 2015 – 2021
Table 6 – Change in mobile call tariffs (RWF / minute) – 2012 – 2021
Table 7 – Development of mobile sector revenue – 2015 – 2021
Table 8 –Mobile geographic coverage by operator – 2018
Table 9 –Mobile population coverage by operator – 2018
Table 10 – Growth in the number of mobile subscribers and penetration – 2012 – 2027
Table 11 – Mobile subscribers by operator (regulator data) (million) – 2012 – 2021
Table 12 – Change in the market share of mobile subscribers by operator – 2012 – 2021
Table 13 – Growth in fixed and mobile broadband traffic (TB) – 2020 – 2021
Table 14 – Growth in the number of active mobile broadband subscribers and penetration – 2012 – 2027
Table 15 – Change in the share of mobile internet subscribers by operator – 2012 – 2021
Table 16 – Change in the number of mobile internet subscribers by operator (million) – 2012 – 2021
Table 17 – Development of MTN Rwanda’s mobile ARPU – 2012 – 2021
Table 18 – MTN Rwanda financial data (ZAR million) – 2012 – 2021
Table 19 – Growth in the number of MTN Rwanda’s mobile subscribers – 2012 – 2021
Table 20 – Change in the number of Airtel Rwanda’s subscribers – 2012 – 2021
Table 21 – M-money transactions and value – 2016 – 2018
Table 22 – Growth in the number of internet users and penetration – 2012 – 2021
Table 23 – Internet subscribers by platform – 2012 – 2021
Table 24 – Dial-up internet subscribers by operator – 2013 – 2021
Table 25 – Change in the number of fixed broadband (>256kb/s) subscribers by operator – 2013 – 2021
Table 26 – Internet subscribers by major ISP – 2012 – 2021
Table 27 – Fixed lines in service and teledensity – 2012 – 2027
Table 28 – Change in the number of fixed lines by operator – 2012 – 2021
Table 29 – Increase in international bandwidth – 2012 – 2021
Table 30 – Historic - Telecom sector investment – 2005 – 2011
Table 31 – Historic - Telecom sector revenue – 2002 – 2011
Table 32 – Historic - Fixed lines in service and teledensity – 1999 – 2011
Table 33 – Historic - Internet subscribers and penetration rate – 1999 – 2011
Table 34 – Historic - Mobile subscribers and penetration rate – 1999 – 2011
Table 35 – Historic - MTN Rwanda ARPU – 2002 – 2011
Table 36 – Historic - Tigo Rwanda B2C subscribers – 2010 – 2017
Table 37 – Historic - Tigo Rwanda mobile subscribers – 2015 – 2018
Table 38 – Historic - International bandwidth – 2006 – 2011
Table 39 – Historic - Change in mobile call tariffs (RWF / minute) – 2009 – 2011
Table 40 – Historic - Mobile subscribers by operator (regulator data) (million) – 2009 – 2011
Table 41 – Historic - Growth in the number of active mobile broadband subscribers and penetration – 2010 – 2011
Table 42 – Historic - Change in the number of Airtel Rwanda’s subscribers – 2010 – 2011
Table 43 – Historic - Internet subscribers by platform (thousand) – 2009 – 2011
Table 44 – Historic - Change in the number of fixed lines by operator – 2010 – 2011

List of Charts

Chart 1 – Africa Telecoms Maturity Index – Market Leaders
Chart 2 – Africa – Market Leaders global ranking
Chart 3 – Africa Telecoms Maturity Index – Market Challengers
Chart 4 – Africa – Market Challengers global ranking
Chart 5 – Africa Telecoms Maturity Index – Market Emergents
Chart 6 – Africa – Market Emergents global ranking
Chart 7 – Africa – Telecoms Maturity Index vs GDP per capita
Chart 8 – Africa – Mobile subscriber penetration vs mobile broadband penetration
Chart 9 – Africa – Fixed and mobile broadband penetration
Chart 10 – Development of telecom sector investment – 2012 – 2021
Chart 11 – Development of telecom sector revenue – 2012 – 2021
Chart 12 – Change in the number of prepaid and contract mobile subscribers – 2015 – 2021
Chart 13 – Development of mobile sector revenue – 2015 – 2021
Chart 14 – Growth in the number of mobile subscribers and penetration – 2012 – 2027
Chart 15 – Change in the market share of mobile subscribers by operator – 2012 – 2021
Chart 16 – Growth in fixed and mobile broadband traffic (TB) – 2020 – 2021
Chart 17 – Growth in the number of active mobile broadband subscribers and penetration – 2012 – 2027
Chart 18 – Change in the share of mobile internet subscribers by operator – 2012 – 2021
Chart 19 – Change in the number of mobile internet subscribers by operator – 2012 – 2021
Chart 20 – Development of MTN Rwanda’s mobile ARPU – 2012 – 2021
Chart 21 – MTN Rwanda financial data – 2012 – 2021
Chart 22 – Growth in the number of MTN Rwanda’s mobile subscribers – 2012 – 2021
Chart 23 – Change in the number of Airtel Rwanda’s subscribers – 2012 – 2021
Chart 24 – Growth in the number of internet users and penetration – 2012 – 2021
Chart 25 – Fixed lines in service and teledensity – 2012 – 2027

List of Exhibits

Exhibit 1 – Map of Telecom Maturity Index global ranking among countries in Africa
Exhibit 2 – Generalised Market Characteristics by Market Segment
Exhibit 3 – Africa – Market Leaders and market developments
Exhibit 4 – Africa – Market Challengers and market developments
Exhibit 5 – Africa – Market Emergents and market developments

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Rwanda Telecoms Market Report

Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband - Statistics and Analyses

Purchase this Report

Rwanda’s regulator secures m-money interoperability

Key developments:

Companies mentioned in this report:

Key statistics

Regional Africa Market Comparison

Country overview

Covid-19 and its impact on the telecom sector

Regulatory environment

Telecommunications market

Mobile market

Fixed-line broadband market

Digital Economy

Fixed network operators

Telecommunications infrastructure

Appendix – Historic data

Glossary of abbreviations

Related reports

Purchase this Report

Share this Report

TMT Intelligence

A platform to scale your intelligence tasks

Research Methodology

Hot Topics

News & Views