On Wednesday 23rd March 2023, The Minister of ICT and Innovation Paula Ingabire accompanied by the Minister of State in charge of Primary and Secondary Education at the Ministry of Education Gaspard Twagirayezu and Former Prime Minister of the UK, H.E Tony Blair visited Groupe Scolaire Gaseke, in Gicumbi District the first school to be connected.

 The “School Connectivity Program”, is aimed at connecting all primary and secondary schools in the country to high-speed internet by the end of 2024. This program will start with a pilot phase connecting 500 schools through Starlink.

Rwanda has 95% 4G coverage and a broadband fiber backbone in all major cities, but due to Rwanda’s geography, some areas of the country are hard to reach an affordable cost and good reliability, using these technologies. In February 2023, Rwanda officially launched Starlink satellite internet services, to improve access to affordable, fast, and reliable internet connectivity in remote areas.

The Government of Rwanda has already connected 44.5% of public schools across the country via fibre optic, the One Government Network project, and the Giga Initiative. Through the Tomorrow Partnership with the Government of Rwanda, the Tony Blair Institute (TBI) has committed to connecting 50 of the 500 pilot schools.

“The Tony Blair Institute’s initiative through the Tomorrow Partnership, is supporting the Government of Rwanda by providing expertise and technical assistance, so that we are able to dream together, co-design and implement impactful programs, like this week’s launch of high-speed satellite connectivity for schools in Rwanda.”, said Hon. Paula Ingabire, Rwandan Minister of ICT and Innovation.

One of the key sectors for increasing access to broadband services is the Education sector, Hon.Gaspard Twagirayezu, Minister of State in charge of Primary and Secondary Education said: “We want to have all our schools connected to the internet, but there are regions that do not have coverage or are difficult to connect. So having the option of the satellite is really important, and we are looking forward to connecting some of our most remote schools using this type of connectivity.”

Talking about their partnership with the Government of Rwanda, Stella Mugabo, TBI Country Director for Rwanda, said: “Connecting these schools demonstrates the art of the possible, and the fundamental mission of The Tomorrow Partnership: provide problem-solvers the technology to enable the best possible solutions. It’s clear that when we bring policymakers who are committed to accelerating the delivery of real change for their people together with technology companies like Starlink, you can feel the energy and a real excitement around the potential for progress.”