Rwanda is planning to test fifth-generation technology (5G) by the end of 2023 with the goal of using fast internet to offer operations more effectively, according to a statement from Paula Ingabire, the country's Minister of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and Innovation.
Ingabire made her statement on 1 June during a consultation with the Senate over the nation's ICT development objectives.
The introduction of 5G-related infrastructure is one of the goals of Rwanda's updated National Broadband Policy and Strategy, which was published in October 2022.
Ingabire stated that 16 hubs will be built this year in cooperation with various telecom firms as part of a pilot program to test the technology this year.
The number of locations is expected to rise the next year to 35 as places suitable for implementation are found. Data from the Ministry of ICT and Innovation shows that the government plans to have 60 5G stations in operation by 2025.
In addition, the minister pointed out that the rollout of 5G will make it easier to integrate smart city technologies, which need quick and dependable internet access.
According to Antoine Sebera, the Government Chief Innovation Officer at Rwanda's Information Society Authority, the smart city system can help monitor electricity and water supply in the country's capital Kigali and enable swift action in case of power cuts or water failure.
Furthermore, efforts are being made to create a smart parking system that would alert drivers to available spaces, enhancing efficiency.
Smart buildings and homes, smart cities, 3D video, cloud-based jobs and leisure time activities, remote medical services, augmented and virtual reality (AR), as well as machine-to-machine communications for automation in factories, are just a few of the applications for 5G technologies that are under development at present. By contrast, 3G and 4G networks are unable to support these services.