The Minister of ICT and Innovation, Paula Ingabire, has announced that Rwanda needs $300 million to build additional telecommunications towers to ensure uninterrupted nationwide internet coverage.
She made the statement on Tuesday, November 4, 2025, while responding to questions from Members of Parliament regarding ongoing digital connectivity challenges that affect public services. Lawmakers reported that during field visits they found areas with no internet at all, unstable networks and frequent disruptions that limit access to essential digital systems. They also raised concerns that some platforms cannot handle high volumes of users, particularly in education, agriculture, health and taxation. In addition, slow or unreliable internet continues to hinder land-related services, and occasional system breakdowns force citizens to return home without receiving services. Errors and inconsistencies in the civil registration database were also highlighted as a persistent issue.
Minister Ingabire explained that Rwanda currently has 83 percent internet coverage, meaning that 17 percent of the population still lacks access. She said that improving this situation depends on upgrading telecommunication towers and expanding fibre optic networks across the country. Today, Rwanda has 1,781 communication towers and 24,949 kilometres of fibre optic cables, including 3,066 kilometres installed this year. To reach 97 percent coverage, an additional 700 to 800 towers are still needed, while more than 2,500 towers would be required to achieve full, reliable national coverage.
Each tower costs about $150,000. According to Minister Ingabire, this means that at least $300 million is required to close the internet coverage gap and strengthen connectivity where networks already exist but remain weak. She added that the government is committed to mobilizing the necessary resources so that every Rwandan can benefit from high-quality internet access.
