Created in 1993, Rwandatel
has been affected by the war. Nevertheless, it seems
that your company recovered very well since when.
To give our readers a better view of the current
situation of your company, can you remind us the
measures taken over the past 8 years?
As a matter of fact, the war was a major problem
for Rwandatel; we are still recovering from the
events of the 90s particularly in 1994, there
were some infrastructures that had really been
damaged, nevertheless, when it comes to telecommunication
infrastructure, we face two aspects: infrastructures
and human beings. Human resources are very important
for me because nothing can be done without the
people. So, after 94, we found ourselves left
with those who did not run away and those who
were not killed. In addition, the urban population
increased, so the lack of infrastructure got even
more felt.
Many refugees came back to the cities, including
those who ran away from Rwanda in 1959. We can
say that the population tripled, which means more
area to cover for Rwandatel. On the other hand,
there were also habits of consumption, it was
not a question of only one line anymore, because
when the telephone was first installed in Rwanda,
the expectation was to have only one line, but
now habits has changed. Nowadays, one line is
wanted for the telephone, another one for the
fax and a third for the Internet. We are planning
to have three lines, and it is a question of multiplying
needs by 15 or 20 times in order to achieve this.
You will notice that in two years especially after
the war, investors did not want to come, money
was not circulating but we had to go over it.
In 94-95, we connected whomever we could; we asked
ourselves if switches were enough. Not only they
were not enough but they were also obsolete. There
were analogical switches, but we did not have
enough internet connection, so we had to bring
them up. After that, the question was to increase
the level of communication transport facilities,
which was a big issue. Finally, it was easier
to make centrals rather than network cables. So
we are starting to have centrals with good standard
levels.
We have been trying to keep as much as we can,
we introduced the wireless system, and it helped
us to solve some problems. We have trouble with
energy. Rwanda is not a very rich and stable country
in terms of energy, we often have power cuts,
nevertheless now we have some plans in order to
improve the situation; some engineers are studying
the possibility to manage Kigabli through a central
computer system.
From 1996 to 2001, you went from 7,000 to
20,000 subscribers, what are your expectations
for 2002?
We are having about 25,000 subscribers. In 2002,
we increased the turnover of the year 2000 and
2001. Over that period, we actually doubled the
turnover. We tried to make the access easier in
terms of connection, we introduced a new product
especially internet with high debit, and provided
connections to banks.
New services were requested, Internet connection
improved but we did not have enough staff so we
had to employ new people in order to satisfy the
needs. Rwandatel was created only in '93, which
means that Rwandan people had very little experience
in the telecommunication field. The potential
was there but the people did not how to sell those
products. For instance we had the wireless but
people did not know how to sell it. At the end
we handled the situation with some sale trainings.
Which are your expectations regarding the turnover
and new the services to be offer in order to increase
it for next year?
We have just installed public phones to enable
the whole population to get telecommunication
access, including those who claim that using a
mobile is expensive. We are trying to attract
the interest of as many people as possible. The
potential is not yet that much in new services
but in the satisfaction of basic needs.
|
Rwandatel is preparing for the privatization
of its capital. Can you enlighten us on what it
will involve in terms of internal organization
and development strategy?
We believe in the free market economy. The market
is getting liberalized and it is time for Rwandatel
to get privatized. We have laws, we liberalize
and then we privatize. We should avoid systems
creating conflicts within one sector. It is not
only recommended by the World Bank but I also
believe it makes sense. we must get ride of our
non-core businesses such as the head office building
which is not used. Renting wings that are not
used does not interest me, I would better focus
on what the company can bring me, something like
10 or 12,000,000 dollars, it is half of our turnover.
We also have to separate from those companies,
which will become our competitors later on.
You would like to sell to MTN your shares
in Rwandacell. Does it mean that you are not interested
in the mobile telephony anymore?
We have invested in the mobile telephony; we
do not intend to give up that sector that has
a high growth potential. We first want to restructure
our capital in view of the privatization and then
we will restart our own business in the mobile
sector.
Do you have any timeframe for the launch of
the tender?
I hope in 6 months, consultants will be able
to give a conclusion but I cannot confirm that
by myself, the secretariat of the World Bank has
something to say about it.
How would you analyze the future penetration
of the mobile telephony on the market in comparison
with the fixed telephony?
The mobile telephony has significantly penetrated
Rwanda, the remaining problem is that it is very
expensive. We have everything, so to make a mobile,
it will not ask too much. And it will even be
an advantage for our costumers. What we need in
this market is more competition, because there
is only one operator, there is no reference.
Has the government prepared the sale of new
licenses?
Yes but it is limited.
What do you think about the licence Rwandacell
is currently operating under?
Rwandacell was an answer of the sudden growth
of the population, at the incapacity of Rwandatel
in the 90s when the fixed phones were not enough.
It completed the empty. We had the technology,
we could not wait for the law, and we had a unique
operator.
In March last year, you created a training
center for new information technologies. What
motivated your setting up this project and what
are your expectations now?
It is a personal dream. I was a professor in
the university of Yaounde, in Cameroon. At the
same time, I was thinking of two things, I created
a company with one friend of mine in Cameroon,
we made satellite dishes ourselves, with aluminum
and concrete, and we exported to Ghana. We kept
on working together. And when I came here in Rwanda
I realized how much we needed it. I started to
get interested on the technological potential.
I also realized that they have never had manpower,
because there were no industries which helped
people use modern methods. When I arrived someone
wanted to propose me those studies, so he called
me and said that he had a budget of 10,000$ and
asked if it was going to be enough. I said not
but it was necessary to see the connections between
the trainee and the industrial employer, I knew
that it was insufficient. Employers also had weakness,
they did not know what they really needed, and
they did not know how the world was moving. I
saw how their ideas could become reality.
So today, it is all about formations and making
dreams came true about the development of the
country?
I think that an investor in Rwanda would not
say that our country is lagging behind the others
in terms of new technologies. Now we have people
doing electronics at university and our level
in mathematics is higher than in South Africa.
God knows, when I was preparing my high school
degree, I learnt a lot, but finally we were not
prepared to solve economic problems. So when I
came here, Rwandatel was proposed to me but I
had some hesitations. At that time, I was working
at the ministry of defense, and my first thought
was to help the mobilized soldiers find ways to
shift their lives to the civil society. Now, we
can rely on a few people who have the qualification
to work not only for Rwandatel but also for other
companies.
|