KIGALI, Rwanda, March 30, 2012/ — Committed to adding value to the economy
and community:
• 83 days to build network from start – fastest Greenfield launch
in history of Sub-Saharan Africa
• To invest USD 100 million over the next three years
• Operation to generate direct and indirect employment
opportunities in the country
• Airtel to contribute to the Rwandan government’s vision of
transitioning to a knowledge-based economy
Bharti Airtel (“Airtel”) ( http://www.airtel.com)
today announced the launch of its operation in Rwanda, expanding its
footprint on the African continent to 17 countries. Airtel has already said
that it will invest over USD 100 million in its operations over the next
three years and generate direct and indirect employment opportunities.
Commenting on the launch, Mr. Manoj Kohli, CEO (International) & Joint MD,
Bharti Airtel said, “We are delighted to launch our operations and bring
Airtel to the people of Rwanda. We believe that Rwanda is an extremely
promising market and this launch further strengthens our footprint in
eastern Africa. It will be our endeavour to bring world-class and affordable
services to our customers in Rwanda and add value to the economy. We would
like to thank the Rwandan government for giving us this opportunity, and we
are committed to contributing to their aim of bridging the digital divide in
the country.”
“The government welcomes Airtel into our country. We are looking to partner
with the private sector to provide good quality, accessible and affordable
telecommunications services,” says Right Hon. Dr. Pierre Damien Habumuremyi,
Prime Minister, Rwanda.
Hon. Dr. Habumuremyi added: “We are especially excited about the prospect of
connecting Rwanda with the rest of the East African region and, indeed, with
the rest of Africa. As Rwandans begin engaging in business ventures and
looking for regional partners, telecommunications companies – like Airtel –
that are able to provide access to a pan-African wireless network, become a
crucial part of expansion.”
Airtel has also partnered with IBM in a move that will enable the teleco to
offer superior customer experience in Rwanda. The partnership will see IBM
deploy and manage the information technology (IT) infrastructure and
applications to further support Airtel’s goal of providing innovative mobile
services.
“As part of our strategic services agreement, we are happy to assist Airtel
with its entry into the Rwandan market and ensure the very highest levels of
support,” says Steve Martin, IBM Vice President and Senior Project
Executive, Airtel Africa. “Rwanda is an important market for IBM and we are
actively strengthening our local presence and increasing our ability to
serve our customers and partners in the country.”
Ericsson, the world’s leading provider of services and technology to telecom
operators, was selected to manage the network from end-to-end, including
OSS/BSS solutions and managed services.
Lars Lindén, head of Region Sub-Saharan Africa for Ericsson, says: “This
solution is using the latest Ericsson portfolio, and will be the first
Airtel network designed as an all-IP solution. That means Airtel will be
able to provide advanced services to its subscribers, expand quickly to
accommodate quick growth, and keep operating expenses down.”
Additionally, this launch has set a record. Lindén adds: “The inaugural
call was placed on the system on March 7. It took just 83 days to build this
network from the start – the fastest Greenfield launch in history in
Sub-Saharan Africa.”
Rwanda is among the fastest growing telecom markets in Africa and, according
to the National Statistics Institute of Rwanda, mobile penetration in the
country was at 38.4 per cent as of July 2011. The rapidly growing private
sector – which includes telecommunications infrastructure and ICT – presents
many opportunities for the development of the industry and the country’s
economy. In fact, according to the World Bank, each 10 per cent of broadband
penetration results in a 1.3 per cent increase in per capita GDP growth in
developing countries.
Airtel was awarded the license by the Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Agency
(RURA) last year to operate 2G and 3G GSM mobile services. Currently, the
Airtel brand is present in both Francophone and Anglophone markets across
the continent, spanning Burkina Faso, Chad, Congo Brazzaville, Democratic
Republic of Congo, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Niger, Nigeria,
Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia.
Distributed by the African Press Organization on behalf of Bharti Airtel
Limited.
About Bharti Airtel Limited
Bharti Airtel Limited ( http://www.airtel.com) is a
leading integrated telecommunications company with operations in 19
countries across Asia and Africa. Headquartered in New Delhi, India, the
company ranks amongst the top 5 mobile service providers globally in terms
of subscribers. In India, the company\’s product offerings include 2G & 3G
mobile services, fixed line, high speed broadband through DSL, IPTV, DTH,
enterprise services including national & international long distance
services to carriers. In the rest of the geographies, it offers 2G & 3G
mobile services. Bharti Airtel had over 246 million customers across its
operations at the end of February 2012. To know more please visit,
http://www.airtel.com