Three hundred Burundian villages access Satellite TV thanks to Chinese support

At least 300 Burundian villages are now having access to Satellite TV thanks to the support of Chinese Embassy in Burundi.

Startimes Company has been certified for its success in the installation of decoders and TV kits for 300 villages

Each village has received 20 decoders and three solar television kits. At least 6900 beneficiaries profited from the project. Longin Bizimana, Technical Director at Startimes, a company that install those decoders says the majority of the beneficiaries are public places that will have access to the National Television programs and other channels with high-quality images.

Frédéric Nahimana, Minister of Communication and Media has said this project will help the less fortunate households have access to TV, information, national and international programs. He says it while Chinese Embassy in Burundi handed over a project of Satellite TV for 300 Burundian villages.
In October 2018, Burundi government in collaboration with the Chinese Embassy has launched the project in Gatumba area of Mutimbuzi commune in Bujumbura province. Since then, the distribution started throughout the country.

However, the distribution caused some concerns. In Mwaro central province, the distribution wasn’t carried out as it was expected. The socio-cultural advisor of Mwaro Governor says the beneficiaries were not among the chosen people. “The distribution of Startimes decoders was not respected”, he says. He then exhorts the administration and Startimes Company to review the distribution for the next time.

Chinese Ambassador to Burundi Li Changlin also said the project will directly help the rural communities. “They will now have access to information of what is happening in the country as well as abroad”, he said adding that it is a way to open people’s mind and promote their intellectual spirit.
In December 2015, Chinese President Xi Jinping announced at the Johannesburg Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation that China would implement satellite TV programs for 10 thousand African villages. The project, known as “Access to Satellite TV for 10,000 African Villages”, is part of China-Africa cooperation programs and is aimed at enabling African families in rural areas to have access to the digital signal with high-quality images and rich TV programs.