MTN Rwanda has announced that its 4G network has achieved a population coverage of 84.5%. This milestone comes one year after the telco obtained its 4G licenses in the country.
The company revealed this when it hosted its 2024 Annual General Meeting on Friday.
“We are approaching the one-year mark since obtaining our 4G license, which has enabled us to significantly increase digital access and improve the internet user experience across the country. ‘’ Ms. Mapula Bodibe, MTN Rwanda Chief Finance Officer, said.
‘’We have made substantial progress in expanding our 4G network, now achieving a 4G population coverage of 84.5%,‘’ she added.
Ms. Bodibe said the telco is also pursuing strategic partnerships and aligning with the government’s digital services strategy to ensure connectivity and access for all.
Rwanda has been described as one of the most successful and fastest-growing economies in Africa. The mobile network landscape in the country is dominated by two main operators - MTN Rwanda and Airtel Rwanda.
MTN Rwanda, a branch of South Africa’s MTN Group, commands the largest market share. It is known for its extensive coverage and a wide range of services, including 3G and 4G. Airtel Rwanda, a subsidiary of the Indian multinational Bharti Airtel, is a close competitor, particularly in terms of pricing and innovative services. Both operators have been instrumental in expanding network coverage, even in rural areas, and in popularising mobile Internet with affordable data plans and value-added services.
According to a report by Rwanda Utilities and Regulatory Authority (RURA), the total number of active mobile-cellular telephone subscriptions in the country increased from 11,002,078 as of December 2022 up to 11,144,541 SIM cards at the end of January 2023, representing an increase of 1.29%.
As of January 2023, the mobile-cellular telephone subscriptions market shares for MTN Rwanda had decreased by 0.4 percentage points up to 64.0% whereas that for AIRTEL Rwanda increased by the same margin reaching 36.0% in comparison to December 2022.
‘Looking ahead, Ms. Bodibe says MTN Rwanda ‘’... will continue to grow our subscriber base, invest in our network infrastructure to enhance capacity, expand coverage, and unlock cost efficiencies, thereby improving the profitability of our business,”.