By Silvia Nyambura
2 years after MTN first launched its 4G/LTE network in Kampala and Entebbe, the company has announced it has rolled out this technology in all the major towns in the country. It has also partnered with mobile phone operator Huawei to make 4G compatible devices available to customers. MTN now has 75 operational LTE sites in addition to the already existing coverage of 1,492 2G sites and 591 3G sites.
Long Term Evolution (LTE) is a worldwide efficient mobile broadband that enables improved speeds and superior internet experience. It offers great data transfer speeds and shortest latency times, allowing users to have a seamless uninterrupted download experience.
Speaking during the launch in Kampala today, MTN CEO Brian Gouldie said, “Mobile users need to have enhanced uninterrupted experience while consuming the internet. This latest rollout offers seamless user experience, lower latency and high spectral efficiency. This also means a higher number of data users can be serviced without compromising the quality of service they receive.”
Currently, the total number of internet users in Uganda is estimated at 6.8 million with 3.4 million of these being on mobile data. Penetration is still very low at about 25%.
“Ericsson estimates that doubling the speeds of broadband can directly impact the GDP growth by 0.3%. UNESCO on the other hand estimates for every 10% increase in data penetration, developing countries could add as much as 1.3% growth to their GDP. Such is the significance of internet in the modern era. We are confident we have made significant milestones in providing access to the technology needed for this,” he added.
Through its efforts, MTN aims at not only bringing the internet to some communities for the first time but also to upgrade those using traditional technologies. Over the past year, the company directly invested Ushs 171 billion in building network capacity. This rollout gives users with current 2G and 3G technologies an opportunity to upgrade to even faster speeds on the 4G network.
The additional towns covered by the roll out include Mbale, Mbarara, Lira, Arua, Gulu, Kabale, Kasese, Fort Portal, Moroto, Masaka, Jinja.
