Currently, some telecom operators are using the government fiber-optic cable to deliver Internet services.

The private telcos have lease agreements in place with the government to use bandwidth. Kanamugire said the cost of leasing the cable is based on the cost of running it rather than on a profit basis. He said the government invested in fiber-optic cables to reach remote areas that private players still consider not viable.

At the time the government of Rwanda chose to invest in these projects, private players questioned the reasoning behind the move, saying the government was entering the telecom market to compete with them.

Kanamugire has assured the private players that the government "had no intention to compete with the private sector but it wants to promote universal access to ICT."

MTN Rwanda Chief Operating Officer (COO) Andrew Rugege welcomed the move to put infrastructure in private hands but called for fairness in the process. Players like MTN Rwanda are expected to apply to government to run the facilities.