Rwandatel Sa

Rwandatel began its operations on January 3rd, 1993 as the sole provider of fixed telephony. It has since grown into the largest telecommunications provider in Rwanda; voice, data and internet. Rwandatel is a backbone internet provider in Rwanda with over 500 km of fiber and more than 300 points of presence in the country. On October 23rd, 2007, the company was privatized and sold to LAP Green Networks, a subsidiary of the Libyan African Portfolio (LAP), itself an arm of the Libyan Government. LAP Green Networks specializes in acquiring and managing networks across Africa and is currently present in over 5 countries and expanding. LAP Green Networks now owns 80% of Rwandatel with Caisse Sociale owning the remaining 20%. Rwandatel is in the process of a nationwide rollout of new infrastructure that will support its new GSM and 3G UMTS network services. Also included is the revamping of the landline network and replacing the PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network) with an NGN (New Generation Network). GSM will cover most of the populated areas and roads, with the 3G UMTS covering most of the urban centres.