Rwanda through the Rwanda Information Communication Technology Association (RICTA) has said that it will start charging residents for the use of its internet domain names from the beginning of this month.
The East African Business Week reports the domain, which had been free, will now cost Rwf167,000 (US$260) wholesale price for non-citizens while Rwandans will be required to part with Rwf30,000 (US$45) and sub domains Rwf11,260 (US$17).
“Any domain that would not have been subscribed for will be suspended,” warned Ghislain Nkeramugaba, the acting chief executive of RICTA.
Currently the .rw domain and sub domains boast of 1,700 institutions, 1,100 using the main domain, 270 subscribers on .co.rw, 236 on the .org domain and 11 on .net. 61 institutions have .ac.rw.
Rwanda is now looking to charge annual fees for the .rw domain and sub domains so as to improve the accessibility of domain registration services.
Rwanda fully acquired the .rw domain last year from Belgian entrepreneur Frederic Gregoire, but RICTA’s efforts to get users to pay have not been fruitful so far, with users complaining the rates are higher compared to other domains.
