International Telecommunication Union secretary general, Dr Hamdoun Toure attributed the success to government's decision to liberalise the ICT sector in 1996, while speaking at the 10th anniversary celebration of the Uganda Communication Commission (UCC), in Kampala last week. He said liberalisation of the ICT sector has resulted in the establishment of four operational national telecommunication service providers; Zain Uganda, MTN, Uganda and Warid Telecom who have stirred the market.
“When it comes to bridging the digital divide, Uganda stands out as a shining beacon of what can be achieved, given the right policies and political will,” Toure said.
Before liberalisation in 1998, Uganda was a monopoly market with a very poor level of ICT penetration, even by African standards. Teledensity stood at less than one telephone for every 350 people. Penetration rates were lower outside the main cities, and the majority of rural villages had no connection at all.
Today, total fixed-line connections stand at over 162,000. Access has been dramatically increased through the provision of payphones and other public access facilities. Mobile growth is the fastest climber after moving from just 12,500 lines in 1998, to about eight million as claimed by the four telecommunication service providers in September this year.
“Your commitment to broaden access by keeping tariffs as competitive as possible has created a vibrant market characterised by innovative pricing strategies...” he said.
He also lauded the government on improving internet access both in rural and urban areas by licensing more internet service providers, the introduction of new wire initiatives and wireless technologies like WiMAX and Wifi.
