(Ecofin Agency) – The Ugandan telecoms market is dominated by operators Airtel Uganda and MTN Uganda. The latter claims to be leader in a market where the public operator UTel and the MVNO Lyca Mobile are also present.
Mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) Talkio Mobile, which recently launched its business operations in Uganda, will leverage mobile and retail chain Banana Life Investments to accelerate the adoption of its services in the country. The two parties signed a partnership agreement to this effect on Tuesday, December 17.
Banana Life Investments provides Talkio Mobile with a network of more than 26 stores across the country. These points of sale will offer people the opportunity to purchase SIM cards, reserve numbers, recharge their communication credit and benefit from quality customer support.
“This partnership aligns perfectly with our mission to connect Ugandans to innovative and transformative telecom solutions”declared Vianne Allan Ahura (photo left), CEO of Talkio Mobile. “By leveraging Banana Life Investments’ trusted presence and national footprint, we are not only strengthening our agent network, we are also bringing our services closer to the communities we serve.” This collaboration ensures that our online customers can now enjoy a seamless offline experience, right at their fingertips,” he added.
Talkio Mobile has just entered a market of 48.58 million inhabitants according to World Bank data (2023). The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) indicates in its “Measuring digital development – The ICT Development Index 2024” that 65% of this population owns a mobile phone. However, the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) reports that as of September 30, 2024, the country had 49.3 million mobile subscriptions, of which 40 million are active. For mobile Internet, the telecoms regulator has identified 17.2 million while the ITU speaks of a penetration rate of 10%.
To establish itself in the Ugandan telecoms market, Talkio Mobile will have to face competition from mobile telephone operators Airtel Uganda and MTN Uganda. The latter claims the status of leader with 21.6 million mobile telephone subscribers and 9.3 million Internet subscribers. An MVNO is also present on the market: Lyca Mobile. It announced that it had exceeded one million subscribers in July 2024, four years after the launch of its activities in the country.
Isaac K. Kassouwi
Published by Sèna DB de Sodji
Also read:
03/07/2024 – Uganda: Lyca Mobile exceeds one million telecoms subscribers
28/11/2024 – Uganda: the State will invest $150 million to generalize Internet access
