Rwanda’s Minister of
ICT and Innovation, Paula Ingabire has assured Members of Parliament that
internet connectivity service from Satellite-based internet provider, Starlink
will not only be affordable but faster than what is currently available on the
market.
The Minister made the
remarks while responding to a question from MP Frank Habineza on whether the
Starlink internet will be affordable, during the plenary session of the Chamber
of Deputies in which she was providing answers to issues affecting the ICT
sector.
Information from RSA
indicates that Starlink’s services are expected to increase the level of
broadband competitiveness in the country as the end-user services will cost
Rwf48,000 for a bandwidth of up to 150 Mbps, while for the enterprises the
Referring to the
information from RSA, MP Habineza said that Rwf48,000 a month for the 150 Mbps
internet speed per second, would be a high cost for many Rwandans.
“You realize that,
though we will get high-speed internet, the prices will still be high such that
it would be difficult for people to access it,” he said.
In response, minister
Ingabire said that compared to the capacity that is being provided and the
available prices, “it is obvious that the capacity that is provided by Starlink
is very high where it can be between two or three times faster.”
“And when you look at
the cost, based on the output that is a half or a third of the capacity that
Starlink provides, you realize that its cost is very low than the available
products,” she pointed out.
“So, considering the
services that are offered currently, we find that the Starlink price is very
good, given the capacity it is providing us which is higher than the already
available packages,” she indicated.
Meanwhile, she said
that the internet cost might be high for one household that needs such a
service; but pointed out that its capacity might, usually, not be needed by a
household.
“As it is a capacity
that might be needed by a health facility, a market where there are many people
who can benefit from it, schools or public entities, it means that if you look
at the number of people who can benefit from such economies of scale versus the
cost, it is more cost-effective,” she said.
