New telephone players coming
Nov 28, 2004
Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) chief Patrick Masambu (right), said on Friday industry experts and investors in information and communications technologies (ICTs) should prepare to put forward their case come December 6 workshop on the post-duopoly era.
By Davis Weddi and Stephen Ilungole
Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) chief Patrick Masambu (right), said on Friday industry experts and investors in information and communications technologies (ICTs) should prepare to put forward their case come December 6 workshop on the post-duopoly era.
MTN Uganda and uganda telecom licences as the only national telecommunications operators expire next July.
UCC now wants the public to discuss how to conduct telecommunications business after this era. UCC said the exclusivity rights agreement is not extendable.
“After the expiry of the exclusivity licences, the market will be opened to full competition. We expect to see more new players,†Fred Otunnu, UCC corporate affairs officer, said in a phone interview yesterday.
Masambu said new communications technologies like Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) would now have a chance to be discussed in the forthcoming workshop.
“Definitely VoIP will have a chance,†Masambu said after a dinner at Hotel Africana where AITEC Uganda recognised winners in their 11th annual IT exhibition which took place in September.
Internet Service Providers and individual entrepreneurs in Kampala are now bracing themselves to put up tight debate to make sure VoIP is recognised and used in the Ugandan market.
“The cost of an international Internet phone call can be like making a local phone call. This makes Internet telephony cheaper and better for Ugandans who are losing too much money making international phone calls on our existing networks,†said a concerned businessman.
VOIP which is a globally cheap form of telephony will offer a stiff competition to the current expensive international phone call rates offered by MTN, uganda telecom and Celtel.
Freddy Mark, a potential German investor in VoIP, said Internet telephony “promises to deliver many nice new features, such as advanced call routing, computer integration, unified messaging, integrated information services, long-distance toll bypass, and encryption.â€
“Because of the common network infrastructure, you can integrate other media services, like video or even electronic white boards,†Mark said.
Another UCC official said the post duopoly workshop would be an opportunity for everyone to voice their concerns about the future of the telecommunications industry.
“The end to the exclusivity agreement will open up space to new types of businesses in telecommunications,†said a local telecom businessman who requested not to be named here.
Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) chief Patrick Masambu (right), said on Friday industry experts and investors in information and communications technologies (ICTs) should prepare to put forward their case come December 6 workshop on the post-duopoly era.
MTN Uganda and uganda telecom licences as the only national telecommunications operators expire next July.
UCC now wants the public to discuss how to conduct telecommunications business after this era. UCC said the exclusivity rights agreement is not extendable.
“After the expiry of the exclusivity licences, the market will be opened to full competition. We expect to see more new players,†Fred Otunnu, UCC corporate affairs officer, said in a phone interview yesterday.
Masambu said new communications technologies like Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) would now have a chance to be discussed in the forthcoming workshop.
“Definitely VoIP will have a chance,†Masambu said after a dinner at Hotel Africana where AITEC Uganda recognised winners in their 11th annual IT exhibition which took place in September.
Internet Service Providers and individual entrepreneurs in Kampala are now bracing themselves to put up tight debate to make sure VoIP is recognised and used in the Ugandan market.
“The cost of an international Internet phone call can be like making a local phone call. This makes Internet telephony cheaper and better for Ugandans who are losing too much money making international phone calls on our existing networks,†said a concerned businessman.
VOIP which is a globally cheap form of telephony will offer a stiff competition to the current expensive international phone call rates offered by MTN, uganda telecom and Celtel.
Freddy Mark, a potential German investor in VoIP, said Internet telephony “promises to deliver many nice new features, such as advanced call routing, computer integration, unified messaging, integrated information services, long-distance toll bypass, and encryption.â€
“Because of the common network infrastructure, you can integrate other media services, like video or even electronic white boards,†Mark said.
Another UCC official said the post duopoly workshop would be an opportunity for everyone to voice their concerns about the future of the telecommunications industry.
“The end to the exclusivity agreement will open up space to new types of businesses in telecommunications,†said a local telecom businessman who requested not to be named here.