By Spy Uganda
Kampala: The Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) said it has approved a request by MTN Uganda for an additional 5MHz of FDD spectrum in each of the 1,800 and the 2,100 MHz bands.
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The industry regulator said the award is expected to help alleviate constraints in MTN’s network capacity for a better quality of service.
MTN – the largest mobile operator in the market – requested the extra spectrum in order to expand its network capacity and thereby improve quality of service (QoS).
The operator is expected to offer nationwide roaming on its rivals’ networks within six months, and an average data download speed of 8Mbps within 18 months.
MTN is the largest telecom company in Uganda, with over 15 million subscribers, accounting for over 55 percent market share.
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In October 2018, the company’s initial 20-year operating license expired. Due to prolonged negotiations between MTN and the Ugandan government, the company has since been operating on temporary short-term licenses. In March 2020 MTN Uganda agreed to pay US$100 million for a 14-year operating license. The telecom also agreed to list its shares on the USE and float at least 20 percent shareholding, in an IPO.
MTN Uganda is a subsidiary of MTN Group, a multinational telecommunications group connecting approximately 232 million people in 22 countries across Africa and the Middle East.
