Telecoms protest State House move to monitor business Kampala, Uganda | HAGGAI MATSIKO | A fight is raging between telecom operators on one side, and the Uganda Communications Commissions (UCC), the Uganda Police Force, and State House on the other, over moves to monitor the Shs44 trillion mobile money business. At …
Read More »MTN licence expires, rivals fight renewal
MTN licence expires: Dirty details of Uganda telecom sector exposed Kampala, Uganda | HAGGAI MATSIKO | Uganda’s largest telecom company, MTN Uganda is caught up in a fight to secure the renewal of its licence which expires this year, The Independent can reveal. With 55 percent of telecom market share …
Read More »THIS WEEK: UCC’s Mutabazi starts 2018 in fighting mode
THIS WEEK: UCC’s Mutabazi starts 2018 in fighting mode Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Few were surprised when Uganda Communications Commission Executive Director Godfrey Mutabazi (Pictured) issued a directive to all television and radio stations to air President Museveni’s End of Year address live. The directive received severe criticism …
Read More »COMMENT: Satellite broadband power
Unlocking economic growth by breaking through both cost and planning barriers of physical infrastructure COMMENT | FARHAD KHAN | The African Development Bank projects that Uganda’s GDP will grow from 5.1% in 2017 to 5.8% in 2018. Among other factors, the government has highlighted the role of information communications technology (ICT) as …
Read More »Is UCC going rogue?
Parliament to probe communications regulator over its media cuts and bans Kampala, Uganda | RONALD MUSOKE | What, really, is the mandate of the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC)? On its face, UCC’s mandate appears clear; it is the country’s communications regulatory agency. It is supposed to promote and safeguard the interests …
Read More »Internet costs drop by 73% in 3 years
Why cost per Mbps has dropped by 73% in last three years Kampala, Uganda | JULIUS BUSINGE | The cost of internet in Uganda has dropped by 73% to US$70 per Mbps over the past three years, signaling a reduction in the cost of doing business. In an exclusive interview with …
Read More »Simcard registration dividends
Operators fear strict registration requirement will slow growth of subscribers Kampala, Uganda | JULIUS BUSINGE | Telecom firms now feel confident in carrying out their business following the conclusion of a mandatory Simcard registration and validation on August 31, 2017, according to Godfrey Mutabazi, the executive director at the Uganda Communications …
Read More »AGE LIMIT: The angry Ugandans
Why Besigye’s army of rage is defeating Museveni Kampala, Uganda | HAGGAI MATSIKO | When about five security officers from President Yoweri Museveni’s protection force, the Special Forces Command (SFC) first pounced to evict Robert Sentamu Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine from parliament on Sept.27, he was ready for them. He …
Read More »AGE LIMIT: Ugandan journalists protest
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Ugandan journalists have protested what they described as “gagging by the state” as the ongoing debate about changing the constitution to lift the age-limit for the presidency rages. Under their Uganda Press Freedom Forum, the journalists from leading media houses across the country blamed security and …
Read More »UCC warns on live broadcasts after parliment brawl
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Uganda Communications Communication (UCC) has accused Ugandan radio and televisions of relaying live broadcasts they say “are inciting the public, discriminating, stirring up hatred, promoting a culture of violence among viewers and are likely to create public insecurity and violence.” UCC directed broadcasters to stop …
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