Wakanet Fiber and Business Internet Fiber packages have been increased by up to 6 times with the entry package bumped up from 10Mbps to 60Mbps at the same competitive price of UGX130,000 monthly. Customers with heavier needs can opt for 100Mbps, 200Mbps, and a top-tier package offering 500Mbps. In addition, all fiber packages offer unlimited data, with no usage caps.

MTN Uganda General Manager for Growth and New Business, Mr. Franklin Ocharo emphasized the telco’s commitment to customer satisfaction saying, “At MTN Uganda, we believe that everyone deserves access to reliable and high-speed internet, whether they are relaxing or working from home.” Adding, “Our new WakaNet pricing and service enhancements reflect our dedication to providing affordable, top-quality broadband solutions that meet the needs of our customers across the country. This is all part of our broader mission under Ambition 2025, to connect every Ugandan to the benefits of a modern, connected life.”

These updates align with MTN’s Ambition 2025, to provide access to high-quality digital services to everyone regardless of their location or usage requirements. Through WakaNet, MTN continues to improve the home internet experience across Uganda, offering reliable, high-speed internet tailored to meet the diverse needs of its customers.

MTN has also made reliable high-speed internet access for customers outside fiber coverage available by making the 5G router available for FREE upon purchase of a 5G package starting at UGX130,000 monthly, which now comes packaged with battery backup to enable customers to remain connected in case of a power outage.

To make high-speed internet more affordable and accessible to all Ugandans, 4G routers are now available for purchase at UGX99,000, with affordable data packages starting at UGX55,000 monthly. In addition, customers can access the WakaNet MiFi at UGX50,000 and receive 5GB free on sign-up. MTN has also introduced Gaga bundles for MiFi devices, catering to the growing demand for flexible and affordable data options.

With the superior internet connectivity solutions offered by Wakanet, customers can enhance the security of their homes with security cameras availed by MTN. The security cameras, available for both indoor and outdoor use, provide a comprehensive security solution that integrates seamlessly with WakaNet, allowing customers to monitor their homes remotely in real time.

The post MTN Revises its WakaNet Home Broadband Service, Offers Price Cuts and More Speeds appeared first on PC Tech Magazine.

 MTN Uganda celebrates 25 years of transforming lives

MTN Uganda marked its 25th anniversary on October 21, 1998, marking a quarter-century of commitment to transforming Uganda’s telecommunications landscape and enhancing the lives of its people. This anniversary saw MTN Uganda reaffirm its dedication to innovation and excellence in the provision of telecommunication services.

Over the years, MTN Uganda has evolved beyond being a traditional telecom provider, venturing into the technology space to offer a diverse range of products and services that extend far beyond conventional telecommunications. The company’s forward-looking approach reflects a commitment to meet the evolving needs of its customers in an ever-changing digital landscape.

Through its corporate social responsibility arm, the MTN Foundation, MTN Uganda has made a significant impact on communities by investing more than Shs30 billion in over 250 projects.

These initiatives span key areas such as health, education, information and communication technology (ICT), and youth empowerment, positively impacting the lives of more than 2.5 million individuals. Currently, MTN Uganda has more than 19 million mobile subscribers, 11.6 million fintech users, and 7.5 million data subscribers.

MTN Uganda’s dividend payout reach UGX586.7billion

As the curtain descends on 2023, MTN Uganda celebrates a year of financial milestones and groundbreaking innovations. Having paid out five dividend payments since its listing on the Uganda Securities Exchange, totaling an impressive shs586.7bn, MTN Uganda underscores its commitment to creating shared value for over 20,000 shareholders.

in December 2021, MTN Uganda Limited achieved a historic feat by becoming the first Ugandan company to list a business valued at over USD$1 billion. This monumental accomplishment not only solidified MTN’s financial standing but also initiated a paradigm shift in Uganda’s stock market dynamics.

True to its vision of ensuring widespread access to the benefits of modern connected life, MTN Uganda has continued to revolutionize stock trading through a mobile phone platform in collaboration with the Uganda Securities Exchange.

MTN Uganda spearheads Uganda-South Africa Summit to foster economic ties

On Sept.05, the Uganda-South Africa Summit kicked off with great enthusiasm at the Speke Resort in Munyonyo courtesy of MTN Uganda in collaboration with key South African businesses in Uganda and key local institutions including Stanbic Uganda Holdings Limited (SUHL), ABSA Bank Uganda, Sanlam, Nile Breweries Limited, Stanbic Uganda Holdings Limited, DFCU Bank, MultiChoice Uganda and Woolworths.

The summit is meant to support the Uganda government in attracting foreign direct investment through the upcoming Uganda-South Africa trade and investment summit. This followed a similar summit held in South Africa in February this year.

Sylvia Mulinge, the Chief Executive Officer of MTN Uganda, a subsidiary of MTN Group based in South Africa and the lead sponsor of the summit, said MTN’s decision to support the summit and rally other key South African businesses and local institutions in Uganda was a response to His Excellence the President of the republic of Uganda request and its commitment to working with the government to facilitate the country’s social and economic development.

This came as available statistics from the Bank of Uganda showed that the value of the country’s exports to the South African nation continues to grow albeit at a slow pace doubling to US$ 21.24 million in the past 10 years up to 2022.

However, the value of South Africa’s exports to Uganda decreased from US$ 251.6 million to US$ 127.6 million during the same period. According to the Uganda Investment Authority, Uganda’s exports to South Africa include cotton, gold, fish fillets, tobacco, coffee, and fresh flowers.

On the other hand, South Africa’s exports to Uganda include machinery, vehicles, plastics, chemicals, electronics, parts and accessories, petroleum, live animals, books and newsprint, textiles, footwear, aircraft, and household goods.

MTN Uganda propels digitalization with 5G Spectrum

In a strategic move to spearhead Uganda’s digitalization agenda, MTN Uganda secured 5G spectrum in July of this year, a pivotal step towards ushering the nation into an era of advanced connectivity. The spectrum, awarded under the 700MHz, 2600MHz, and 2300MHz bands, has been seamlessly deployed, allowing MTN to initiate the rollout of 5G technology across Uganda, beginning with the bustling city of Kampala.

The commitment to expansive connectivity is further underscored by MTN’s noteworthy achievement of increasing 4G population coverage to an impressive 83.7%, reflecting a substantial 6.4 percentage point augmentation. This expansion aligns with MTN’s National Telecom Operator (NTO) License geographical coverage mandate, ensuring comprehensive high-speed data services across the country.

To leverage the full potential of the acquired spectrum, MTN Uganda has intensified efforts to enhance smartphone adoption. Through an enhanced device financing proposition and strategic collaborations with phone manufacturers, alongside new partnerships with local smartphone assemblers to curtail acquisition costs, MTN has successfully increased smartphone penetration to 36.6%, marking a substantial 3.9 percentage point surge. This concerted approach has led to a remarkable 27.5% growth in smartphone users.

Also, MTN Uganda received the fastest network speed awards for the three quarters of this year by Ookla attesting to our infrastructure investment efforts.

MTN Uganda transitions to a technology firm

On Sept. 25, MTN Uganda embarked on a transformative journey with the introduction of “Do Business Better with MTN ICT Solutions,” a pioneering initiative signaling a significant expansion of its services from telecommunications to comprehensive technology solutions.

This ground-breaking development opened the way for the company and partners to offer more products and services beyond that of a telco.  Some of the products and services include; cloud computing, MTN Unified Communications and Collaboration suite, and Internet of Things among others.

Ali Monzer, Chief Technology and Information Officer (CTIO) at MTN, emphasized the significance of this transformative initiative, stating, “We find ourselves at the brink of an even grander transformation — entering a fresh era where we shift from merely offering telecom services to empowering technology’s possibilities. We aspire not solely to acquaint you with revolutionary technologies but also to enlighten, motivate, and enable you to adopt them for your prosperity.”

MTN Uganda’s foray into holistic ICT solutions represents not just a service expansion but a commitment to catalyzing the technological evolution of businesses.

MTN Uganda rolls out 5G network services

On July 28, MTN Uganda achieved a significant milestone in its commitment to delivering the best network experience in Uganda with the launch of its next-generation 5G network.

This new infrastructure offers higher peak data speeds, ultra-low latency, increased reliability, and enhanced network capacity, ushering in a new era of connectivity for the nation.

This momentous achievement was made possible by the Uganda Communication Commission’s allocation of the 5G spectrum to MTN in June of this year. This development followed a series of extensive 5G trials and testing, beginning in 2020 and culminating in April 2023 when MTN Uganda, in collaboration with partners Huawei and Hima Cement, showcased the first commercial 5G use case in Kasese, Uganda.

“We are incredibly proud to be the first to launch a 5G network in Uganda, and we firmly believe that this cutting-edge network service will play a pivotal role in driving ICT solutions for economic growth and fostering unparalleled digital experiences for all Ugandans,” stated MTN CEO Sylvia Mulinge.

MTN has currently deployed 35 5G sites in Kampala, with plans for further expansion nationwide. By embracing 5G technology, MTN Uganda aims to attract more investments, stimulate innovation, and position Uganda as a digital hub within the region.

MTN Uganda’s strategic move into 5G represents not just a technological advancement but a commitment to propelling Uganda into the forefront of the digital age. As the country embraces this transformative connectivity, the potential for economic growth and innovation is boundless.

ALSO READ: WE’RE DEMONSTRATING TO UGANDANS THAT 5G IS NO LONGER JUST AN IDEA, IT’S HERE — MTN UGANDA

MTN Uganda makes ‘API as a Service’ available to customers

On April.14, MTN Uganda unveiled MTN ‘API as a Service’, a solution that provides third parties access to its proprietary software platform.  This new service enables businesses to create innovative services that will accelerate digital transformation and innovation in line with MTN’s Ambition 2025.

MTN Uganda Chief Marketing Officer, Somdev Sen said during the launch that “the commercialization of MTN APIs, will provide developers with access to MTN’s software platform, allowing them to create new innovations and better ways to satisfy customers faster.

He emphasized that the service presents a significant opportunity for businesses to enhance their offering and add value to their platforms with MTN services.

Ali Monzer, Chief Technology Information Officer at MTN Uganda highlighted that the API as a Service offers additional security controls to customer management processes.  He, for instance, said the MTN Sim Swap API verification of SIM swaps can be done before a transaction is successfully processed, reducing the risk of fraud and identity theft, and protecting customers’ finances from theft by unknown third parties.

The MTN API platform has since gone live with four different APIs, with the promise of more to come. The MTN Sim Swap API, MTN KYC Lite API, MTN Airtime API, and MTN Subscription API will all add value to digital platforms by enabling customers to conveniently purchase MTN airtime and bundles to reward their customers, as part of loyalty programs or promotions.

The company also relaunched the Webphone with Webex solution, a digital solution that allows our customers in the diaspora to communicate at local rates.

MTN Uganda is revolutionizing FMCG supply chains with cashless efficiency

On July 25, MTN Uganda unveiled a mobile-based supply chain platform that allows businesses in the Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) to place orders, generate invoices for deliveries, and pay and collect returns in real time.

The new platform dubbed FMCG Digital Suite automates the distribution of products and services and allows payment for delivered goods via MTN Mobile Money, eliminating the use of cash in the supply chain. The service has been developed by MTN’s Technology Business and fintech arm, MTN MoMo.

MTN Uganda Chief Executive Officer, Sylvia Mulinge, says the new platform is in line with MTN’s Ambition 2025 Strategy that is focusing on building the largest and most valuable platform business in Africa, with a focus on driving digital transformation across various industries.

“This FMCG Digital Suite represents a significant step in our mission to empower businesses, enhance operational efficiency, and enable cashless payments within the FMCG ecosystem,” she said.

“We are privileged to collaborate with Uganda Breweries Limited, to pilot the FMCG Digital suite through their ecosystem. We encourage more other businesses to enroll on this platform to reap the benefits of a modern connected world.”

This comes as businesses are embracing digital solutions to improve efficiency, combat supply chain challenges, and reach wider markets.

21 Days of Y’ello Care Campaign empowers communities

MTN Uganda unveiled its 21 Days of Y’ello Care program mid this year seeking to provide entrepreneurs with the resources they need to succeed. The program that ran from 1st to 21st June 2023, was themed “Empowering Entrepreneurs to Unlock Growth and Job Creation for Communities.”

The program highlighted the company’s commitment to driving digital transformation and fostering economic growth across the country.

Mulinge said this year’s initiative targeted grassroots entrepreneurs, providing them with essential digital and financial tools, facilitating wider market access, and offering valuable business mentoring and knowledge-sharing sessions.

Some of the beneficiaries of this year’s MTN’s 21 Days of Y’ello  Care include; Mulungi Confectionary and Skilling Center based in Mukono, Bumu Disability Development Association based in Luwero, Teso Textile Light Dynamics in Soroti City, King of Kings Multi-Investment and Consultancy Farms Ltd in Kitgum, Take a Step Women Art and Craft Organization in Hoima City, Tussakimu Women’s Group based in Kampala, Refuge and Hope International and Disability Employment Link Project Uganda, located in Bwaise, Kampala.

Now in its 16th year, the “21 Days of Y’ello Care” campaign stands as MTN’s flagship employee volunteerism initiative, designed to engage MTN staff in high-impact social projects within their local communities. Each year, the campaign focuses on a different theme, reflecting MTN’s multifaceted approach to social responsibility.

MTN Foundation unveils MTN Skills Academy to empower youth

MTN Uganda’s corporate social responsibility arm, the MTN Foundation, unveiled MTN Skills Academy, an innovative online platform to empower Uganda’s youth and bridge the digital divide.

The MTN Skills Academy, a flagship program of MTN Group, is part of the Digital Skills for Digital Jobs thematic area and was officially unveiled during the Mobile World Congress Africa in Kigali, Rwanda last year.

In partnership with key stakeholders, including the Ministry of ICT and National Guidance, the National ICT Innovation Hub, ATC, and Huawei, the MTN Skills Academy is aligned with Uganda’s National Development Plan III, Digital Vision 2040, the African Union’s ‘Digital Transformation Strategy for Africa,’ and MTN’s Ambition 2025, which aims to create shared value and transform the east African nation into a modern society.

MTN Uganda CEO, Sylvia Mulinge, emphasized the program’s importance in addressing the critical gap between digital skills training and job placement.

“As MTN, we are committed to driving digital solutions for Africa’s progress. With the launch of the MTN Skills Academy in Uganda, we aim to equip the country’s youth, who are at the forefront of digitalization, with the necessary skills to advance the digitalization agenda and drive the nation’s progress,” she said.

Hon. Joyce Nabbosa Ssebugwawo, the Minister of State for Information, Communications, and Technology, commended MTN for its ongoing commitment to innovation and its role in driving Uganda’s sustainable development through ICT.

MTN unveils MTN Changemakers; injects UGX500 million in 25 projects

MTN Uganda’s corporate social responsibility arm, MTN Foundation, launched a social initiative dubbed MTN Changemakers in July this year aimed to transform the lives of communities across Uganda.

The initiative to support local individuals and organizations driven to profoundly impact their communities.

Mulinge said the telecom company believes in the power of Ugandans to create change in their communities. “MTN Changemakers initiative is about supporting Ugandans who are doing great work in their communities to improve people’s lives,” she said.

“Ugandans have shown themselves to be exceptional dreamers and doers. They possess the remarkable ability to take what they have and transform it into something extraordinary through passion, skill, and unwavering commitment. They have turned a highly competitive environment into a highly creative one, inspiring us all.”

The initiative supporting 25 projects focuses mainly on the Foundation’s areas of economic empowerment, education, health, water and environment, and agriculture.

MTN Uganda stakes step to boost women entrepreneurs

MTN Uganda in partnership with several companies and organizations including Private Sector Foundation Uganda (PSFU), ATC Uganda, UN Women, DFCU Bank, NSSF, MasterCard, Innovation Village, and Outbox Hub in October this year unveiled the Advancing Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) initiative, a three-year program designed to increase women participation in the top spend supply chain areas.

The partners committed to growing a supplier base by 2025 that will ensure women tech entrepreneurs benefit greatly. The program will create pathways for business representation, strategic positioning, supplier base, and financial inclusion.

MTN Uganda CEO Sylvia Mulinge said championing diversity, equity, and inclusion among organizations is the magic bullet to increasing women’s participation in information technology.

She said while the country has made commendable progress in increasing female participation in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) programs in Uganda, there remains ample room for further advancement.

“A cursory review of our annual procurement expenditure, approximating UGX854 billion, exposes an unsettling imbalance in favor of males, with female-owned businesses at 8% and women in technology or 0.4%, driven by historical factors and other complex reasons,” she said.

She added: “We must proactively involve women in shaping our society, as their inadequate representation constraints Uganda’s development, leaving vital intellect and creative potential underutilized, which is essential for enhancing productivity.”

MTN Foundation empowers 1,400 learners with special needs

MTN Foundation’s Digital Access for Inclusion program has opened the doors of technology to nearly 1,400 learners with disabilities across five schools in Uganda this year, marking a significant investment of Shs800 million. This commitment to a connected and inclusive future underscores MTN Foundation’s dedication to advancing education through technology.

The impact of the program reverberates across different regions, with Salama School for the Blind and Masaka School for the Deaf in the central region receiving 10 computers each, along with assorted equipment and a year of free internet connectivity. Similar support extended to the eastern region’s Ngora School for the Deaf, the northern region’s Gulu High School, and the western region’s Hornby High School in Kabale.

Brian Mbasa, Senior Manager at MTN Foundation, emphasized the program’s seamless alignment with MTN Uganda’s Ambition 2025 Strategy. This strategy ensures that the benefits of a modern connected life are accessible to everyone, irrespective of their socio-economic background or ability. He highlighted MTN Uganda’s commitment to equipping learners with digital skills crucial for navigating the evolving job market, emphasizing that the digital skilling initiative will persist amid the ongoing 4th industrial revolution (4IR).

This initiative comes as World Bank statistics indicate that 16% of Ugandan children have a disability, suggesting that most children with disabilities are not able to attend school and that learners with special needs fail to transition from one educational level to another.

The Digital Access for Inclusion initiative is part of MTN Uganda Foundation’s broader efforts to enhance information and communication technologies in schools and communities. Other institutions such as Kabale Preparatory School in Kabale District, Smart Girls Foundation in Wakiso District, and Moroto Public Library in Moroto District have also benefited from fully equipped computer labs.

The post Trailblazing Year: A Review of MTN Uganda’s 2023 Milestones appeared first on PC Tech Magazine.

In July this year, MTN Uganda officially began going live with its 5G network with the rollout having started with sites in Kampala delivering higher peak data speeds, ultra-low latency, increased reliability, and greater network capacity.

“We’re incredibly proud to go live with a 5G network in Uganda, and we firmly believe that this cutting-edge network service will play a pivotal role in driving ICT solutions for economic growth and fostering unparalleled digital experiences for all Ugandans,” MTN Uganda CEO, Sylvia Mulinge told the press at the time of the rollout.

In the last quarter (Q4) of 2023 alone, the telco has rolled out over 35 sites.

To augment the benefits of 5G, MTN Uganda has also gone to further roll out and optimize 4G+, an even more efficient version of 4G technology across the country. Combined, these technologies promise remarkable advancements in terms of speed, capacity, latency, and connectivity. They not only offer faster internet speeds but also have the potential to revolutionize and drive efficiencies in various industries, like healthcare, education, manufacturing, and transportation.

“In our application for spectrum, which the regulator graciously awarded, we ensured to balance our investment by having the right mix of 4G+ and 5G technologies to make sure that our coverage spread meets the utilization requirements of individual, institutional as well as corporate customer needs,” said Mulinge while emphasizing the significance of the 5G rollout.

Mulinge further noted that as the country continues to develop, the telco shall continue supporting its customers to update their devices to optimally utilize 5G whilst rolling out the technology to ensure that it meets the needs of customers wherever they are, or go, across Uganda.

“Our latest coverage rollout promises improved connectivity that will improve services and support the extraction of previously untapped economic opportunities,” she remarked.

Mulinge emphasized that the launch of 5G fits in with MTN’s wider strategic intent of being at the forefront of developing digital solutions to drive Africa’s, in this case, Uganda’s progress.

MTN Uganda’s 5G rollout has been strategically focused on key urban and commercial hubs including, the central business district (CBD) of Kampala and the surrounding areas including; Kamwokya, Naguru, Ntinda, Naalya, Kyaliwajjala, Makerere University, Mulago, Nansana, Kawempe, Kawanda, Kisaasi, Kungu, Kanyanya, Komamboga, Nakawa, Bugolobi, Mutungo, Muyenga, Munyonyo, Kiwafu, Konge-Buziga, Bunga Hill, Mudde-Bunga, Kiruddu-Buziga, Kitende, Dundu, Bweya, Bulega, Bwerenga, Lyamutunde, Wankulukuku, and Bunamwaya.

Outside of Kampala, the cities of Fort Portal and Kasese have also seen the activation of 5G to support commercial use cases in those areas. The rollout to other areas will continue into 2024.

Ali Monzer, MTN Uganda’s Chief Technical and Information Officer revealed that efforts to cover the rest of the country are a work always in progress.

These 5G-connected areas have already started experiencing better connectivity, offering customers and businesses access to unparalleled connectivity.

5G technology delivers significantly faster data transfer speeds, reduced latency, and increased network capacity. Customers and businesses in areas where the telco’s 5G is available can now enjoy seamless high-definition video streaming, crystal-clear voice calls, and ultra-responsive online gaming experiences, which all ultimately ensure productivity in whatever endeavor the technology is being used for.

The next frontier in the development of Uganda is going to require reliable and stable connectivity.

Whether in education, commerce, medicine, or manufacturing — as digital connectivity powers them all, and through its mandate as a telecommunications and digital solutions provider, MTN is investing in the technology the country requires to power its progress today and for the years to come.

Monzer said, “The latest deployment of 4G+ and 5G technologies in both urban centers and rural areas demonstrates our continued commitment to bridging the digital divide and providing Ugandans with access to the numerous benefits of today’s modern connected world,”

Monzer also highlighted the transformative impact of MTN’s 5G network services on businesses in Uganda noting that it brings greater efficiency and productivity to industries. He points out that 5G network services will complement MTN Uganda’s growing fiber and 4G network, creating a holistic telecommunications ecosystem.

He further explains that under optimal circumstances, 5G boasts speeds up to 100 times faster than other technologies, while drastically reducing data transmission latency to a mere 5 milliseconds.

This remarkable advancement in technology has a transformative effect on user experiences across a wide spectrum of digital applications. It not only paves the way for services like virtual and augmented reality but also facilitates ultra-high-definition video streaming, enables the deployment of cutting-edge artificial intelligence, supports the growth of robotics, and accelerates the development of automated vehicles and the Internet of Things, among other use cases.

In essence, 5G is, according to Monzer, the catalyst that propels us into a new era of connectivity and innovation, where the boundaries of what’s possible are continually expanding.

As part of its Ambition 2025 strategy, MTN Uganda is committed to investing in infrastructure to remain at the forefront of connectivity, providing faster, more reliable connections to its ever-growing customer base, of more than 19 Million customers.

The future looks promising as MTN remains intent on updating and keeping in step with, and bringing to Uganda, internationally benchmarked connectivity and technological advancements.

ALSO READ: HOW 5G COMPARES TO 4G AND FIBER — YASIN RAMADHAN

The post 5G Revolution: MTN Uganda’s Bold Step Towards Connectivity appeared first on PC Tech Magazine.

Tech enthusiasts, government officials, and media representatives gathered at the UCC offices, eager to witness the dawn of a new era in telecommunications. The main attraction was the 5G experience center which offered an immersive journey into the future.

The center included live demonstrations where visitors experienced the astonishing speed and reduced latency of 5G technology. Visitors also had the opportunity to check out Virtual Reality experiences using the power of this next-generation technology. In addition, attendees also interacted with a range of 5G-enabled devices, gaining insights into the transformative capabilities of 5G to revolutionize industries and uplift the nation.

Hon. Chris Baryomunsi, the Minister of ICT and National Guidance, emphasized 5G’s potential to revolutionize Uganda’s economy, shaping a digitally advanced future.

“5G is not just another technological advancement, it holds the power to revolutionize various industries and sectors of Uganda’s economy, ushering in several new possibilities and innovations which will undoubtedly shape Uganda’s future for the better,” said Baryomunsi.

Irene Kaggwa Sewankambo, Ag. Executive Director of the Uganda Communications Commission, commended MTN Uganda’s dedication to digital inclusion and recognized 5G’s positive impact on the nation.

She remarked that “I commend MTN Uganda for their dedication to advancing technology and driving digital inclusion in Uganda.” “I look forward to witnessing the positive impact of 5G on our economy, businesses, and the daily lives of our citizens as we work together to unlock the full potential of this game-changing technology.”

MTN Uganda CEO, Ms. Sylvia Mulinge in her remarks stressed 5G’s power to unlock unprecedented possibilities, enhancing the quality of life for all consumers as she articulated MTN 5G would not be possible without supportive regulations and policies that foster a conducive environment for 5G deployment and investment,

“I wish to thank the Ministry of ICT and National Guidance and UCC for providing a conducive business climate and enabling regulations that have not only enabled the rollout of MTN 5G but other product and service innovations as well,” said Mulinge. “These enabling policies will accelerate the realization of Uganda’s full economic potential.”

As part of its Ambition 2025 strategy, MTN Uganda continues to invest in infrastructure and partnerships to remain at the forefront of the telecommunications industry, providing faster, more reliable connections to its customers and revolutionizing the way businesses operate in Uganda.

The post MTN Uganda Demonstrates its 5G Network at UCC Offices appeared first on PC Tech Magazine.

True to its strategic intent of ensuring that everyone enjoys the benefits of a modern connected world, this initiative shall allow MTN Uganda to have a future-oriented network with greater service agility, innovation for both consumer and industrial verticals, differentiation, improved operation efficiency and better customer experiences with higher data speeds and reduced latency. It further accelerates telco’s Ambition 2025 strategic objective of leading digital transformation in Africa through innovation that will step change businesses in Africa.

The project implementation shall take on a phased approach and will be overseen by Huawei technologies for the five years’ period, drawing on its unique capabilities and advanced global technology experience. This is expected to culminate into a unification of the different existing legacy core network elements into a single vendor and simplified easy-to-manage Cloud-native core network.

“Through this project, we are modernizing our core network to get ready for 5G in the near future in Uganda. However, this modernization will also help us immediately in delivering a better quality of our voice network,” said Ali Monzer, the Chief Technical and Information Officer at MTN Uganda.

MTN Uganda CEO, Ms. Sylvia Mulinge, notes that the MUNA partnership with Huawei makes telco’s core network battle-ready for the impending 5G launch.

“As MTN Uganda, we have always been the front runner of evolving technology in this country. In 2020, we were the first operator in East Africa to do a successful 5G network demonstration. While that was a non-commercial exhibition, this modernization of our network comes in as a precursor of the 5G capabilities which Uganda is going to experience soon,” she said.

Dr. Chris Baryomunsi, Minister for ICT & National Guidance adding to Mulinge’s remarks said welcomed the collaboration between MTN Uganda and Huawei Technologies.

“We are soon launching the transition to 5G. This will not only help MTN, but other telecom companies as well to have improved Quality of Service,” said Baryomunsi. “In this journey of digital transformation, we are running as a country, to keep pace with the rest of the world.”

“This intervention is in line with the country’s vision 2040 that aims at transformation of our society.”

Gavin Gaofei, the Managing Director at Huawei Uganda said modernization and innovation for greater technology-enabled service propositions requires sustainable partnerships and enabling ecosystems.

“We, at Huawei Technologies are proud to cement our 20 Year strategic partnership with MTN Uganda with yet another future-oriented Cloud-native 5G Core network initiative,” Gaofei said.

“We are even more excited about the potential of the solution towards stripping away complexities and creating simplicity to maximize business value and best-in-class customer experiences for Uganda.”

With this solution, MTN Uganda will not only focus its resources where and when needed, but also save on the  environmental footprint, due to the miniaturization of the telecom infrastructure – a vital element in MTN group’s ESG agenda.

The post MTN Uganda to Embrace Uganda’s Digitization Journey With 5G appeared first on PC Tech Magazine.

1. MTN recently announced the rollout of a Disaggregated Cell Site Gateway (DCSG) technology, what does that mean?

To understand DCSG, you ought to know how telephone calls are made. Currently, we have towers across the country which house antennas. These towers emit radio frequencies in the air which are displayed on your phone as 2G, 3G, and 4G. So, when making a call from Kampala to Mbarara for instance, your phone will communicate to a tower in Kampala through the antennae which sends the session to a switch center in Kampala where it will be processed and sent to a tower in Mbarara where the phone call receiver is.

We have switches in few centralized positions in the country. The above process of making a call from one area to another is made possible through a transport network. The transport network carries phone calls, data, messages, mobile money, and digital services as well. DCSG is the transport network that moves all telecommunication traffic.

A telecommunication transport network is very complex and expensive; involving a high capital investment for any telecommunication operator. DCSG is an innovation in the transport network which will enable MTN to run a much bigger automated end-to-end network at a lesser cost in a more efficient way.

And I have to say, we are the first in Africa to roll out this technology. It’s already in operation in Europe and North America and they are realizing the benefits. In Uganda, it will be rolled out in a phased manner.

2. How will this new technology be rolled out?

We are currently at the design stage of this project, but it is important to note that the deployment of this technology is a journey because MTN has over 2,500+ sites.  However, we are going to start the rollout in selected sites. We chose this path of deployment in order to clearly ascertain the impact and benefit of the technology especially in improving the service for our customers.

3. What should your customers expect when deployment of this technology comes to life?

An improved service across all aspects including voice, data, SMS, and all other digital services.  DCSG is going to optimize the transport network to streamline and improve our customer’s experience while using MTN services. For instance, it will allow us to optimize the latency. This means that if you are in Karamoja, the new technology should allow you to connect a phone call in a few milliseconds. If it takes 2 seconds to hear the ring, the DCSG technology might reduce the connection time by a certain percentage. The voice quality is also going to be enhanced. Overall, the benefits are incremental.

4. Uganda has many budding developers who are bolstered through your network especially mobile money. Will this technology impact digitization in any way?

Definitely. It will open us up to digitize more services. It will also us to be more bullish on mobile money to enrich services on the products and platforms. You know digitization boosts productivity and the economy through creating jobs and more business opportunities, especially for the youth. This will not only boost MTN but also the entire economy. This technology will allow MTN to expose its network assets in a very efficient way to allow people to innovate.

5. Why is MTN deploying this infrastructure in the first?

At MTN, we strive to deliver the best services to our customers. This technology promises to advance the customer experience while also streamlining our operations. This technology will also facilitate MTN to shift from a communication service provider to a digital service provider. MTN digital services such as MTN’s Whatsapp version; Ayoba and mobile money among others require a lot of resources and a very stable and efficient transport network which we hope to achieve with DCSG.

6. In 2020, MTN launched 5G in Uganda. Will this technology deliver 5G internet speed to Uganda?

We didn’t launch 5G yet, but we did a Proof of Concept (POC) with our partners to test the service but in the long run. This is a key foundation for 5G is about fast speed and low latency. The most important aspect of latency is the transport network and with this technology, we are going to achieve the lowest latency possible in Africa to transport data. This technology will allow us to run 5G which is predominantly for industrial use for example self-driving vehicles, telemedicine and etc.

Editor’s Note: Aviat will oversee the deployment of DCSG solution using Network Operating Software provided by ADVA, running on Edgecore Hardware. This solution in Uganda is a flagship development in accelerating connectivity in Africa.

The post Interview With Ali Monzer: How DCSG Technology Will Improve MTN’s Quality of Service appeared first on PC Tech Magazine.

The telco had been carrying out extensive 5G trials and testing since 2018. MTN was the first in the southern hemisphere to demonstrate AAA game streaming over its 5G network. In a partnership with Emerge Gaming, MTN demonstrated GameGloud on 5G streamed to a Huawei P40 Pro phone.

Meanwhile, MTN will deliver its 5G connectivity on the 3.5 GHz band at 58 sites including Johannesburg, Cape Town and Bloemfontein, as well as use the 2,100 MHz and 1,800 MHz bands at 35 sites. The telco is re-farming some 4G spectrum to allow it to run 4G and 5G services at the same time, in the same band. This allows for easier migration of network technology from LTE to 5G and allows the company to deploy 5G using existing spectrum assets in the absence of additional high demand spectrum.

“We’re stepping up our digital revolution with the next generation of telecommunication technology, demonstrating to all South Africans that 5G is no longer just an idea. It is here. It works and it has the capacity to bring about exponential improvements to our economy, and to the lives of the people we serve,” MTN South Africa CEO Mr. Godfrey Motsa said during the company’s live-streamed launch event yesterday.

Early this year, MTN launched a 5G public demonstration in Uganda becoming the first operator in East Africa to carry out a 5G trial. Mr. Wim revealed that 5G will not be about more customers using the network but rather IoT devices connected together. Emphasizing that their customers will have faster and better experience with services; from telemedicine, education, finance, among others.

To take advantage of the 5G and what it has to offer, you need a 5G-ready smartphone or 5G-enabled router. MTN South Africa has listed Huawei P40, Huawei P40 Pro, and LG Velvet as smartphones that support 5G, and Huawei CPE Pro 2 and ZTE MC801A as routers that support 5G on its website.

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