131 in 2010. In 2010, 40 Broadband VSAT companies were operational in Rwanda. It is
envisaged that the use of VSAT will be drastically reduced due to increasingly affordable
Internet resulting from the deployment of broadband through the national fiber optic backbone
that been rolled out in the country (over 2,300 km). In 2010, Internet penetration in Rwanda was
5.3% compared to the African average of 10.9%. From 2008 to 2010, Rwanda registered one of
the highest Internet user growth rates with 8900% compared to the continent growth rate of
2450% and the world average rate of 444%. In 2010, more than 38.9% of Rwanda’s public
sector (ministries, agencies, provinces and districts) and 34.5% of the private sector had web
presence.5
Mobile Applications: There is increased demand linking mobile payment systems with onlinebased e-commerce and trading platforms globally. Today, there are more than 3.4 million mobile
subscribers in Rwanda who are now able to purchase electricity and airtime anywhere at any
time as a result of mobile payment systems. Rwandan software developers and telecom
providers can work together to capitalize on this trend.
Outsourcing: Outsourcing of help-desk services, desktop management, data-center services, and
on-the-spot support services are on the rise. It is creating new job opportunities in the IT
industry, stimulating the need for progressive and innovative strategies to connect employees
from continent to continent. Nelson Hall, a global outsourcing research firm, estimates global
demand for business processing outsourcing (BPO) services at $250 billion annually and it is
projected to increase to $750 billion by 2020. Demand for BPO services in Rwanda is estimated
at $50 million, which will increase to almost $200 million by 2020 with regional market
potential predicted to be $1900 million in 2020.6
Information Security: Information security is increasingly becoming of critical importance
given the need to secure critical information currently available online. This is a result of
advanced and repeated cyber-attacks to government and private companies that are now
spending more on security technology, assessments, training, and certification. 7 Rwanda is
investing, and must continue to do so, in IT and information security to ensure that Rwandan’s
information is not compromised.
Cloud Computing: There is a shift in the global service model in which service providers are
leveraging cloud computing technologies to offer “everything-as-a-service”. This is a new and
swiftly growing approach to service provision. Gartner, a leading cloud computing research firm
estimates that the global market for cloud computing will reach $148 Billion by 2014. Today,
Rwanda has constructed a national data center that is fully capable of maximizing the potential in
cloud computing, paving the way for increased services development.
Green ICT: A host of trends, including rising stakeholder awareness, increasing environmental
regulations and rising energy costs are causing many executives to “green” their companies.
Through reduction in CO2 emissions, the IT industry can save billions of dollars and garner
more money in electric utilities rebates. Benefits and incentives are being offered to businesses
in countries like the United States as reducing carbon emissions has become a pressing issue.
Governments in countries like Canada and South Africa are refurbishing ICT equipment.
Refurbished computers are then distributed across these countries to schools, libraries and
5
RWANDA 2010 ICT Status Baseline Survey
Rwanda BPO strategy
7
http://hostwisely.com/blog/six-major-trends-of-information-technology-in-2010/
6
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