KTRN to lose monopoly on Rwanda’s 4G infrastructure
February 7th 2023
The government of Rwanda wants to remove the exclusivity in the 4G infrastructure market currently held by Korea Telecom Rwanda Networks (KTRN). According to the Official Gazette published by the Ministry of Justice, the Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Authority (RURA) aims to modify KTRN’s licence to allow other companies to deploy 4G networks.
The change comes as part of the country’s National Broadband Policy and Strategy, adopted by the government in October 2022, which is looking to enhance competition in order to accelerate the rollout of mobile broadband networks. The move would also support increased competition in the market for fibre backhaul, where KTRN is also dominant. Meanwhile, licences held by other operators – including cellcos MTN Rwanda and Airtel Rwanda – will become technology neutral.
A statement from RURA says: ‘The implementation of the new National Broadband Policy and Strategy and KTRN licence for network service provision warrants the removal of the regulatory barriers that prevent other telecom operators from deployment of the latest available technology.’
TeleGeography’s GlobalComms Database notes that KTRN is 51% owned by KT Corp of South Korea, with the remainder held by the Rwandan state. KTRN launched its open access LTE network in the capital Kigali on 11 November 2014, reaching its goal of 95% population coverage by January 2018. The network is used by MTN, Airtel and other third-party operators to provide services to end users.
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