Uganda - Fixed Broadband Market - Statistics and Analyses

Synopsis

Uganda depended entirely on satellites for international connectivity until 2009 when several international submarine fibre optic cables landed on the African east coast. The country was then connected via a national fibre backbone extending to its borders, implemented by Uganda Telecom and MTN Uganda. Since the initial connections to fibre cables were made prices for international bandwidth have fallen to a fraction of their former cost, but retail pricing of broadband services is still relatively expensive, especially considering the purchasing power of most subscribers.

In recent years mobile technologies including WiMAX, 3G and LTE have placed internet access within reach of a far greater proportion of the population. Upgrades in infrastructure have revolutionised the market and enabled the convergence of voice, data and digital media services. Mobile networks now account for the vast majority of internet connections. In late 2018 the regulator ensured that licence renewals for mobile network operators include conditions to ensure national broadband coverage.