BUJUMBURA – The government of Burundi signed a $5.9 million contract on Monday to expand telecommunications coverage to 92 “hills” or rural administrative zones that currently lack any 2G or 3G connectivity.
The agreement was signed between SETIC (the Executive Secretariat for Information and Communication Technologies) and the state-owned ONATEL Burundi.
The project, funded through the PAFEN digital transformation initiative, aims to bring over 372,000 rural residents into the digital economy.
“This contract marks an important step toward more inclusive connectivity,” said Bienvenu Irakoze, Coordinator of the PAFEN project.
“It illustrates the collective desire to build a digital ecosystem accessible to all, regardless of geography.”
Burundi remains one of the least connected countries in the world, a factor that has hindered its economic growth and the delivery of healthcare and education.
By targeting “white zones”—areas with zero coverage—the government hopes to facilitate mobile banking and digital government services in the hinterlands.
While the investment is a positive step, observers note that ONATEL, the state carrier, has struggled with debt and infrastructure maintenance in the past.
The success of this rural expansion will depend on the government’s ability to maintain these new sites and ensure affordable data costs for the rural poor.
