Rwanda’s Satellite powered Internet scheduled to arrive next year/tekiniko

According to One Web,an international telecommunication giant, commercialization for its satellite internet services worldwide will be operational around April 2021.

This communication comes a day before the launch of the second batch of thirty-four (34) satellites was held on 7 Thursday, in Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan.

The first batch of six (6) satellites was launched in February last year, with Rwanda collaborating with One Web, to have her first-ever satellite internet dubbed ‘Icyerekezo’.

The global satellite was named ‘Icyerekezo’ by students from St Pierre Nkombo island Rusizi district, western province, who are currently waiting enthusiastically to be connected on an integral part of the high-speed satellite global broadband network.

Rwanda will be connected with the rest of the world next year around April. We are now focusing on providing 24/7 internet at the same time globally. St Pierre students are among the beneficiaries probably in April. They will have free internet for 10 years,after ten years, prices will be negotiated by one web and Rwandan government depending on the quality of internet and world market competitions for the internet by then. 

Rwanda’s launch of global satellite aims at building the local space industry, build local capacity, inspire the younger generation and prepare to usher Rwanda into a hyper-connected future.

This second launch of thirty-four (34) satellites will rapidly grow one web installation of 684 satellites by 2021. Each satellite forms a basis of the high-speed global satellite broadband network. The global commercialization of internet services will start with maritime, aviation, the government in late 2020 and enterprises like schools in 2021.

This satellite service does not target St Pierre students only because they were chosen to name the satellite ‘Icyerekezo’. Our dream is to see all the schools and communities in Rwanda connected to the internet and the global at large.

The London based company (One web), which was founded in 2012, is one of organizations battling to commercialize low Earth orbit (LEO) through delivering fiber-like high-speed internet.

According to one Web officials, building implementation of the global satellite cost about $3billion, the money raised in big entities including Softbank, Qualcomm, Grupo Salinas, and the Rwandan government.

This article first appeared in ktpress