Ugandan Fintech Boda Boda Banja, who provides un-or underbanked people with the opportunity to buy or lease a motorbike or ‘boda boda’, has recruited mobile operator Telecom26 to deploy IOT to help track down stolen motorbikes.

According to the companies motorbike theft is a problem across Uganda with solo drivers seen as easy targets for thieves.In 2021 more than 170 motorcycles were stolen from members of the Gulu West and Gulu East Boda-Boda Associations in Northern Uganda.

Meanwhile in the cities of Lira, Kwania and Apac the Police are investigating an organized criminal gang that steals boda bodas across the country.

In a bid to keep the motorbikes that it finances more secure, and to locate them if they are stolen, Boda Boda Banja is now installing a tracker on each motorbike.

Telecom26’s Global SIM cards are embedded within the trackers providing always-on connectivity.In the event, that a bike is stolen the location of the tracker can be immediately identified, the police alerted and the bike recovered.

Boda Boda Banja evaluated a number of different connectivity options before choosing Telecom26’s Global SIMs.

Saurabh Jain, General Manager at Boda Boda Banja, said “We don’t want our customers to risk their own safety and defend their bikes, but we do want them to be able to find them. Telecom26’s Global SIM cards are absolutely perfect. They are easy to install within a tracker and can jump between the different mobile networks both within Uganda, and on our borders where networks overlap”.

Telecom26’ Global SIM cards were developed with the specific goal of improving connectivity in remote and rural areas. They enable devices to automatically access and switch between multiple cellular networks both in-country and across borders to ensure that they are using the best performing service at any one time.

Telecom26 claims its Global SIMs can be installed in any IOTor cellular device around the world for immediate connectivity as they are compatible with 1100 cellular networks from 650+ mobile operators in more than 200 countries.

“This means, for example, that the manufacturer of the tracker could ship its devices with a Telecom26 Global SIM card anywhere in the world and receive connectivity wherever they are ultimately deployed,” the company states.

Nicola Beradocco, CEO at Telecom26, said, “Boda Boda Banja helps people to earn money as drivers - and transport their families.The always-on connectivity that we provide to trackers means they are less likely to be stolen in the first place - and easier to locate if they go missing”.