Yesterday Korea Telecom announced it had partnered with the Rwanda government to build a mobile Long Term Evolution (LTE) network across the country and possible to export it to countries.
According to Korea Telecom spokeswoman Kim Yoon-jeong, “The venture is intended to develop, construct, operate and provide wholesale infrastructure services to mobile service providers and mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) in Rwanda.’’
The deal also a major significance for KT’s global expansion strategy.
KT will begin setting up the network within this year and will have complete control while the Rwandan government will give financial and administrative support. Korea Telecom will also build another joint venture firm in the country to up its presence in system integration and information technology fields in the region.
KT build the WiBro network in Rwanda in 2007 and has extended its services to providing information security solutions and several other services. It also had planned to buy a 20 percent stake in SA’s Telkom but the state did not agree.
KT also submitted a bid for $7.3 billion Vivendi’s stake in Moroccan carrier Maroc Telecom as it makes major steps in expanding its presence away from it home where it’s the country’s dominant fixed-line operator and second mobile carrier after SK Telecom.
