ICT Minister urges hotel owners to standardize Internet connectivity for better service delivery

The Minister of Youth and ICT, Jean Philbert Nsengimana, has urged hotel owners to standardize Internet connectivity in hotel institutions in order to improve service delivery.

He made the remarks on September 19, 2013 while addressing hotel IT managers during a workshop to equip these professionals with the knowledge they need improve Internet access in their establishments.

According to Nsengimana high-speed Internet access in Rwanda is readily available, adding that IT managers are simply not aware of the best technologies to implement in their establishments. As a result, connectivity remains low and complaints from guests remain high.

He added that there is high connection availability since the government has invested in telecoms, and the prices have gone down but IT managers are not aware of this change.

Nsengimana stressed that Internet should be a basic provision that every hotel, regardless of the place or its level should have. “Internet connection should be like water or electricity. If there is no water or electricity it is a big problem”, he said.

IT managers expressed challenges that they face, including the non-detailed and confusing bill that they get from the Internet providers. Often, they find they are incorrectly over-billed for large sums of money.

Karekezi, one of the participants from Dian Fossey Hotel in Nyiramacibiri, Rubavu district said that this workshop is very important for IT professionals and requested that the Ministry continues to keep them up to date on IT services in the country.

Besides free wi-fi in public places, hotels, and restaurants, commercial buildings, like malls and shopping centers, are requested to improve their connectivity by installing wireless internet in open spaces.

ICT Minister urges hotel owners to standardize Internet connectivity for better service delivery