For the past few months, MTN Uganda has been in a race to have its license renewed at the hands of UCC, which highlighted the telco’s ups and downs for the past 20 years of service that even prompted a public hearing session. The telecom has since received the bitter sweet news for their license renewal.
According to the Minister of ICT and Information Hon Frank Tumwebaze, the cabinet backed MTN’s license renewal with strict terms and conditions to operate for the next 10 years. Among these, listing on the Uganda securities exchange market is paramount, nationwide coverage in addition to allowing customers switch from its network to another without the need to change a SIM card or simply put, number portability. All this will cut across the telecom sector so its not just a MTN prerequisite.
It’s more 10 Years for MTN’s existence in Uganda
MTN Uganda whose license is set to expire on 20th October 2018 searched for a renewal from UCC earlier this year. However, the regulator set neutral grounds for a public hearing conference which flagged off several incompetence issues that included complaints from third-party service providers and ineffective customer support claims. Since then, UCC set a tough barrier to the renewal path instructing the telco to fix all customer issues effectively for a 20th October single term 10 year license renewal that the telecom sought.
MTN seems to have spiked the crucial bit of progress with the cabinet finally backing the telecom’s license renewal agreement. By the same fashion, all telcos are required to embark on a countrywide coverage plan so as to fulfill the “Everywhere you go” slogan. Therefore, the tough times of MTN battling with a license are no more as it sets course for the next 10 years of serving Ugandans.
