Community Wireless Resource Centre (CWRC) Being installed in Uganda

In July 2007, community wireless networks were implemented at telecentres in Lira and Nabweru by the Community Wireless Resource Centre (CWRC).

The CWRC team included CWRC staff and four electrical engineering students who are doing industrial training under CWRC. This intervention arose out of :

• the need to reduce the high cost of internet connectivity at IDRC-supported telecentres in Uganda,
• to explore optimal connectivity models such as sharing the existing bandwidth with neighboring institutions via outdoor wireless networks
• to provide internet access to these partners without need for heavy initial investments in satellite hardware and subscriptions.

It is anticipated that these networks will enhance sustainability of internet access at these telecentres.

In Lira, a total of three partners have been connected to the telecentre wirelessly and can now access the internet at their premises.

In Nabweru, a total of three partners have also been connected.

The CWRC team now heads to Kabale to implement similar wireless networks in Kabale town and Kachwekano (which is located approximately 8 km from Kabale town).

The design of these networks considers the telecentre to be the hub of the network where all other sites are connected. In cases where line of sight links to the telecentre are not possible, connection between the hub and the partner site is accomplished via a repeater. Therefore, in this arrangement, the telecentre acts as a wireless internet access point to its partners.

The Rest @ Telecentre

Celtel to Expand Free Roaming to 6 Countires, Plans for 9 More

African mobile operator Celtel has expanded its One Network free roaming to six countries. Already available in Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda, the service will now also be available to subscribers in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Congo and Gabon.

One Network gives users the same prices when roaming in the six countries that they pay at home and free incoming calls.

Celtel aims to expand the service to all 15 countries where it has a presence in Africa. Inter-regional traffic jumped 300 percent in the first three months after the launch of One Network in the three east African countries, Anna Othoro, Celtel marketing director in Kenya, told Business Day.

The Rest @ Telkom Paper

East African Wireless Telcoms to Lower or Remove Excise Taxes

Tanzania Uganda and Kenya are looking to lower or remove excise duty levied on mobile phone airtime.

A study carried out last year by consultancy Delloitte for the association of mobile telephone operators, GSMA has indicated removal or reduction of excise would result in increases in tax receipts in the long term.

The decision to lower excise, if adopted, will be contained either in the next budget reading (2007/2008) or the financial year after (2008/2009).

In Uganda, discussions in that direction are ongoing between the ministry of finance, planning and economic development, the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) and the new ministry of ICT and communication.

"We are optimistic that the three governments will announce decreases in excise duty," Mr. Gabriel Solomon, director, government & regulatory affairs at the GSM Association told Business Week in a telephone interview last week.

Read the Rest from All Africa.com, and East Africa Business Week

MTN Largest UGanda TaxPayer

MTN Uganda made it into the top 500 biggest African companies this year in the latest rankings drawn up by the respected “The Africa Report” magazine. MTN entered the third edition of the rankings for the first time at 380 on the basis of its $137m turnover.

MTN was the only local company that made the list. “We are very happy to be listed. The company’s good results are testament to its excellent management methods and explains why we are Uganda’s highest taxpayer,” said MTN chairman, Charles Mbire.

Read the Rest from New Vision

Uganda Telcom Exhibition Targets Small to Medium Entrepreneurs

Business expo starts today KAMPALA-The uganda telecom-sponsored exhibition for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) is scheduled to start today.

The exposition will be held at Mulwana Hall at the Uganda Manufacturers Association’s showgrounds. The three-day interactive exhibition will have guest speakers offering advice and solutions for key concerns for the SMEs.

The exhibition will also benefit students and prospective entrepreneurs. Uganda Telecom’s chief commercial officer Hans Paulsen, said: “Small and medium businesses are the fastest growing segment in Uganda. We realise the importance of this group and have designed products tailored to their specific needs.”

Read the Rest from New Vision

Uganda Telecom Taxed Higher Than 218 Other Countries

A global trade association representing GSM mobile operators in 218 countries has released a study that shows Ugandan mobile users are one of the most taxed in the world.
In the same study they come to the conclusion that lowering excise duty on air time will lead to higher collections in the future as phone usage climbs.

The immediate shortfall in the excise duty will be more than bridged by improved corporate taxes by telecommunication companies. Uganda's excise tax on airtime is 12% compared to Kenya's 10% and Tanzania's 7%. In addition, 18% VAT is charged on airtime. Therefore, for every sh100 shillings of airtime we use, about sh30 goes into paying taxes.

Read the rest from the editorial in New Vision