Mobile phone operators in Uganda like Airtel, Africell and MTN Uganda have started inserting coronavirus-related public health suggestions to stay home onto customers’ smartphones in recent days, using Short SMSes as part of the social distancing practice.
This comes at a time when Uganda has now registered 14 COVID-19 cases. On top of the SMSes, Africell also has a ring back caller tune that reminds citizens to wash their hands and use of other measures to prevent contracting the virus including pushing their data bundles to encourage people to stay home.
In a fight for coronavirus, MTN is not only sending SMSes, as we reported earlier, their customers can send any amount of money every day to #MTNMoMo customers free of charge in a new offer designed to reduce risk of CoronaVirus transmission by avoiding physical exchange of currency notes.
Let's #FightCoronaTogether.
— MTN Uganda (@mtnug) March 25, 2020
Sending money with #MTNMoMo is free of charge. Dial *165*1#
Get 1GB for 2K to #WorkFromHome valid between 9am and 5pm. Dial *150*19#
Pay using #MTNMoMoPay free of charge.
No MBs needed to access health info.#StaySafeUG everywhere you go. pic.twitter.com/YoMcw8MzCP
People who can afford are being encouraged to work from home but telecom companies are also pushing work from home bundles to keep people productive and working remotely online.
Airtel Uganda on the other hand is not only sending SMSes but also come out to zero-rate (give free access without the need of a data bundle) to the latest information, facts, and statistics site on the Coronavirus in Uganda. This also applies to World Health Organization websites https://who.int or the Regional Office for Africa https://afro.who.int. They are also pushing cashless transactions.
