Airtel Uganda, a subsidiary of telecommunications and mobile money services provider Airtel Africa, which has a presence in 14 countries across the continent, has been issued a National Telecom Operator licence by the East African country.
This follows a period of negotiation and transition to a new licensing regime in Uganda. The new licence comes into effect from 1 July 2020 and is valid for a period of 20 years.
In a statement released today, Airtel Uganda expressed its gratitude to the government of Uganda and the Uganda Communication Commission for their cooperation in what it terms an “important process”.
Airtel Uganda says it will retain all its current spectrum, subject to the law and terms of assignment. The scope of services will be the provision of basic telecommunication services, infrastructure services and value-added telecommunication services.
“In addition, Airtel Uganda commits to achieving coverage of 90% of the geographical boundary of Uganda within five years of the effective date of the licence – with a minimum obligation of providing voice and data service,” says the operator.
Under the terms of the licence, Airtel Uganda has paid $74.6 million, which includes VAT of $11.4 million.
