Bharti Airtel on Thursday said that it has been awarded a licence to operate 2G and 3G GSM mobile services in Rwanda. Bharti Airtel plans to invest over $100 million in its operations in Rwanda over the next three years.
With this licence, the company's footprint across the African continent will expand to 17 countries. Rwanda is among the fastest growing telecom markets in Africa.
According to the National Statistics Institute of Rwanda, the mobile penetration in the country was 38.4 per cent, as of July 2011. The Minister in the President's Office in Charge of ICT, Dr Ignace Gatare, said, “This also marks the largest investment out of India into Rwanda and will be invaluable in enhancing the economic cooperation between the two nations.”
Mr Sunil Bharti Mittal, Chairman and Managing Director, Bharti Airtel, said, “Rwanda is a key telecom market with immense growth potential and will strengthen Bharti Airtel's footprint in East Africa.”