By David Himbara
Unlike the former International Telecommunication Union (ITU) secretary-general Hamadoun Touré who was a praise-singer for President Paul Kagame, the new SG Zhao Houlin, sounds frank and candid in his assessment and advice on IT in Rwanda.
Look at the following most revealing exchange between Houlin and the New Times:
NEW TIMES QUESTION: “During your stay, there must have been a few things that you noted that ought to be corrected or improved, would you mind sharing?”
HOULIN ANSWER: “During my stay, I observed that Wi-Fi connection was not very reliable in most places I visited including the hotel I stayed. In my conversations with various leaders and people I also learnt that internet access was still a challenge in most schools.
Addressing some of these challenges will increase the country’s chances of developing through ICT and improving the lives of people in the country.
It will ensure that there is optimum use of the optic fibre that the country has invested in installing. In future it will also be good to see building constructors install optic fibre cables in all apartments so that more people can have access to affordable internet from their homes.”
IN PLAIN ENGLISH WHAT IS HOULIN SAYING?
1. Internet connection in most places even in top hotel is not reliable;
2. If the connections are so bad in a five star hotel, elsewhere it is bad news;
3. Internet access in schools is questionable;
4. Fibre optic cables the country has invested has yet to be optimally used – its laying unused.
In other words, Houlin is telling Kagame and his officials to stop boasting and to get to work because IT in Rwanda is still on the drawing board
