Uganda's ICT Minister Chris Baryomunsi.

Uganda is fast-tracking digital technology and infrastructure, the likes of which are used in the development of smart cities, smart offices and cloud strategies, to achieve the country’s Digital Vision 2040.

Speaking at the Huawei ICT Congress 2020 held recently in Kampala, the country’s ICT Minister Chris Baryomunsi said the government wants to expedite its digital strategy and leverage technology that underpins smart homes, smart offices, cloud solutions, safe and smart cities, among others.

According to Baryomunsi, ICT is now Uganda’s fastest growing sector and is also a major driver to Uganda’s middle-income status as per the 2040 Digital Vision strategy.

He said the government is fast-tracking digital to harness new emerging technologies such as those exhibited at Huawei congress. “We need to look to the future of digital and start implementing the necessary digital infrastructure so that we are not left behind.

Baryomunsi added, “In building robust ultra-high speed, pervasive, intelligent and trusted high speed ICT infrastructure all over the country, the government has diligently worked towards expanding the nation’s digitalisation in a number of fields, in order to unleash the multiplier effect of ICT on associated secondary and tertiary industries for tremendous impact on the economy. Thanks to NITA-U, UCC and other players in this regard. These efforts have borne fruit. ICT is now Uganda’s fastest growing sector and contributes significantly to its GDP.”

The Huawei ICT Congress 2022 was hosted by Huawei Uganda under the theme “Lighting up the Future”.

Telecommunications boost

According to a quarterly report by the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) released in January, mobile and fixed telephone subscription had reached 29 million in Q3 2021, boosting the country’s telecommunications industry.

The report indicated that despite the slowdown in quarter-on-quarter additions, the 12 months period ending September 2021 recorded a decent 10% year-on-year growth, with 2.6 million new subscription.

Additionally, the 29.1 million subscriptions represents a telephone penetration of 69%, which equates to a national penetration of seven lines for every ten Ugandans.

The market research showed that 85% of the 200, 000 new mobile connections during the third quarter were data-enabled connections.