MTN opens new era of tech partnership in Uganda

Uganda says it will have access to the internet for all, with the goal of transforming people's lives and the economy.

Telecom infrastructure has been increasingly targeted, with thieves stealing cables, lithium-ion batteries, and generators, disrupting communication services.

Uganda's two largest telcos contributed more than $23 million to the universal access fund, bolstering efforts to expand broadband services to remote areas.

The telco handed over $13.3m, its largest yearly contribution to date, to the Universal Service and Access Fund.

The new route supports over 1 terabyte of capacity and offers low-latency, high-redundancy connectivity to key data centres in Kampala.

Interledger has partnered with Kanzu Finance, which provides microloans to Ugandan community-based financial groups.

With Uganda's digital economy growing, MTN says its infrastructure investment is crucial in closing the connectivity gap.

The telco sees the East African country as an attractive market for data, fintech, and digital infrastructure.

These sharing agreements, according to the telcos, target improved network cost efficiencies, expanded coverage and the provision of enhanced mobile services to millions of customers, particularly those in remote and rural areas.

The initiative, which aims to alleviate mobile phone customers from the inconvenience of having numerous SIM cards, was unanimously approved by parliament.

The business says its success in 2024 allows it to pay $139 million (UGX506 billion) in dividends to shareholders.

Uganda first to go live under pan-Africa Payment Processing Partnership