• Rwanda ISP Canalbox restores service after regional fiber outage

• Regulator ordered compensation, penalties over April disruptions

• Customers to receive seven days’ credit on next billing cycle

Canalbox, Rwanda’s main internet service provider, said Tuesday it had fully restored services after disruptions earlier this month, amid mounting pressure from the country’s telecommunications regulator.

In a statement posted on social media, the operator said the outage was caused by instability in a critical regional fiber-optic link that affected several operators across the region. It added that it had increased network capacity to improve resilience.

The company also announced a compensation mechanism, granting affected customers seven additional days of service to be applied to their next billing cycle.

The move follows a requirement from the Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Authority (RURA). In a statement dated April 27, the regulator said Canalbox must compensate all customers affected between April 13 and April 20, pay daily penalties until full compliance is restored, and submit progress reports within specified deadlines. It warned that additional sanctions could be considered if violations persist.

On April 21, RURA had already announced regulatory action against Canalbox. After issuing a formal notice, the regulator summoned the operator to a hearing to provide explanations and present immediate corrective measures.

Under Rwandan law, operators that fail to comply with regulatory orders face administrative fines ranging from 500,000 Rwandan francs (about $342) to 15 million francs per day of non-compliance, from the date of notification. The regulator may also suspend or revoke an operator’s license.

Isaac K. Kassouwi