Mapula Bodibe, MTN Rwanda CEO.

MTN Rwanda and the Ministry of Information and Communications Technology and Innovation have expanded the Connect Rwanda initiative, which aims to boost smartphone accessibility across the country.

The telco launched its 4G-enabled smartphone, IKOSORA+, as part of the Connect Rwanda 2.0 campaign on Thursday during a ceremony in the Kirehe District in the country's east.

This comes as Africa is experiencing rapid growth of mobile connectivity, due to consumer demand for enhanced mobile services, according to Ericsson’s Mobility Report.

The report notes that current mobile data traffic in Sub-Saharan Africa is set to grow 12-fold by 2025. Mobile broadband subscriptions are expected to account for 72% of all mobile subscriptions in the same year, with LTE subscriptions estimated to triple and top 270 million.

Yesterday, Mapula Bodibe, MTN Rwanda CEO, said: “The introduction of this device underpins our belief that everyone deserves the benefits of a modern connected life and tackles one of the barriers to 4G connectivity access, namely, affordability.

“Through this initiative, we aim to empower and enrich the lives of all Rwandans with a device that will enable them to connect, learn, and do business in ways that were not possible before, all at an affordable price point.”

She added: “With upgraded features, IKOSORA+ allows our customers to experience fast internet speeds, and the reliability and ease of 4G connectivity which brings digital services closer to our customers, leaving no one behind.”

Paula Ingabire, minister of ICT and innovation, attended the launch and stated that the introduction of the smartphones was an important step forward for the Connect Rwanda 2.0 plan.

“This achievement aligns with our goal of fostering inclusive broadband access, ensuring cost-effective internet solutions are within reach for all citizens,” Ingabire said.