Uganda Gets New Mobile User's Watchdog

A new body has been set up to protect the interests of mobile phone users in Uganda.

A report from AllAfrica.com says that the Mobile Telephone Watchdog will help guard consumers against bad practice by the country’s cellular operators.

Uganda’s wireless sector was home to more than 4.4 million subscribers at the end of June 2010.  MTN Uganda controls around 46% of the market, with Zain Uganda claiming around 19%, and Uganda Telecom and Warid Telecom accounting for approximately 16% each. The remaining 3% is split between Orange Uganda and I-Tel.

MTN Uganda Gets US$100 m for Network Expansion

MTN Uganda has raised US$100 million in debt to fund the expansion of its network. Isaac Nsereko, chief marketing officer at MTN confirmed the development to the Reuters news agency.

Absa Capital, the investment banking arm of Absa Group was lead arranger of the  syndicated loan.

"We are using it to invest in the network, different sections of the network really," he told Reuters in a telephone interview.

Based on data from the Mobile World, the country's five current operators and their market shares are: MTN (41%); Zain (22%); Uganda Telecom (19%); Warid Telecom (17%) and Orange (2%). A sixth network, I-Tel launched its network last month.