The research tracked newspaper and online media coverage of telecoms including MTN Uganda, Airtel, Africell and Uganda Telecom from January to June 2018.

In a report done by researchers from Ultimate Multimedia Consult (UMC) said most of what Ugandans know about telecom companies is from advertising and promotions, with few if any news stories or investigations into the work and promotional offers of telecommunication companies.

“Telecom companies impact the lives of almost every Ugandan today, through their internet, calling, sms and mobile money services. You would expect that journalists and commenters would be producing news and analysis on the work of telecoms to help Ugandans make informed choices on what product, service or offer is most beneficial or valid. But this is not the case,” said Gerald Businge, the Team Leader at Ultimate Multimedia Consult.

Businge said in the six months, there were only 82 news stories and 13 analysis articles of the 898 stories published about telecoms by newspapers and online publications. He says the majority of the stories published were advertorials. “Even most news stories resulted from press releases,” he said.

The research warns that such Telecom advertising burnout of news and editorial coverage will continue to hamper better service delivery by telecom companies. “There are many concerns from the public about telecom services. From dropped calls, slow internet, undelivered sms, internet bundle charges to service offer prices. It would be good if journalists did more scrutiny and investigations into these issues. But the research has shown most of the coverage in newspapers is advertised messages and whatever the telecom company say is right,” says Derrick Senyonga who heads Research and Training at UMC.

This adds to widely held concerns that due to their huge advertising muscle, telecom companies have “bought off” any possible scrutiny of their services from any media house.

The research report also expressed concern that telecom companies were not doing enough to communicate to their service users using the traditional media, online publishers or even their own websites. “There are limited explanations or updates on their respective websites or social media pages about current services or the how of things,” Senyonga says, adding that members of the public need more than adverts to make informed choices on telecom services.

The report commended MTN Uganda for leading in communicating about its services and offers, both in newspapers, online publications and on their website. “Even in facebook and twitter, MTN has registered more routine posting and engagement. MTN was followed by Airtel, Africell and Uganda Telecom respectively in media coverage, posting and engagement.

You can download the full report Media coverage and communication of telecoms in Uganda.

The post NEWS RELEASE: Communication Of Telecoms In Uganda first appeared on Uganda Multimedia News & Information.

NIRA Executive Director Ms Judy Obitre-Gama hands over the machines to UCC. internet photo

The National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) has handed over 50 biometric card readers to Uganda Communication Commission (UCC) to aid in the process of simcard replacements and swaps. The handover was officiated by NIRA Executive Director, Ms Judy Obitre-Gama.

These machines will in turn be handed over to Telecommunication companies soon to aid them through the process of replacing and registering new simcards that had been halted by UCC following cases of simcard misuse by criminals.

Following the handover, Ugandans who want to replace or register their SimCards will no longer be expected to go to NIRA offices for verification but will only need a police letter and their national ID.

According to UCC Director for corporate affairs, Fred Otunnu, the commission is working tirelessly to make sure that by Monday 16^th April 2018 Ugandans can be able to replace simcards easily. He further said they are aware of frustrations Ugandans have been going through to replace their stolen simcards. Now that the machines are availed, they hope the situation will go back to normal.

There has been a general outrage from Ugandans ever since UCC issued a directive stopping the sell, swap and replacement of simcards by all telecom companies a few weeks back.

Mr Otunnu assured Ugandans that 98 percent of the final phase that will ensure that they have their simcards replaced is complete.

The application program interface, which will integrate systems from telecoms through UCC into NIRA database, will enable real time verification to empower the licensees with simcard authenticity.

The post NIRA hands over SIM card reading machines to UCC first appeared on Uganda Multimedia News & Information.

Buhweju county MP Francis Mwijukye.

MPs have angrily attacked the Uganda communication commission for the continued suffocation of media houses which is costing government billions of revenue. The matter was raised by Buhweju county MP Francis Mwijukye who said that continued closure of media houses is a move gagging the media.

He described the raid on Red Pepper on 21^st November 2017 where five directors and three editors were arrested and company sealed off saw phone and computers taken by Police as a move aimed at intimidating media and journalists at large.

He noted that when they raided Red Pepper, 370 phones were taken from staff, 100 computers confiscated and over 5000 people lost jobs.

Hon Medard Lubega Sseggona, the Busiro East MP   noted there is a high level of impunity among Uganda communication commission that should not be allowed to be implemented amongst Government institutions.

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Sseggona revealed that UCC has refused to renew licenses of almost all media houses in the country, saying Government is using the method to gag media houses when it comes to critical issues and this is denying government revenue.

Mwijukye said that the attack on the media houses cannot be seen as an isolated case noting that even the editor of Monitor Charles Bichachi and the Editor of New Vision Felix Wasike are out on bail.

However, Busia municipality MP Geoffrey Macho rubbished Mwijukye’s concern wondering if it was in order for Parliament to discuss a matter that is before courts of law.

The Speaker of parliament Rebecca Kadaga asked Mwijukye to stick to matters that aren’t before court like the confiscation of phones and computers and asked the MPs to table the issue as a substantial motion for Parliament to debate and take a position on the whole sector.

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The Managing Director of Ultimate Multimedia Consult, Mr. Gerald Businge (R) and some of the team members after winning the ACIA Award.

It was a new brighter day for the innovators of Yaaka Digital learning Network after winning a cash prize of $1,250  and a seed fund of $3,500 during ACIA 2015 Awards.

Yaaka competed in the digital content category where the innovation turned first runner-up after PM live that emerged winner in the same category.

Yaaka is a website and app that allows Ugandan students to attend online classes or access academic materials in all subjects taught in preprimary, primary school, secondary school and higher institutions of learning. Students and teachers just need to register to access or offer learning materials

The annual ACIA Awards organized by Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) are aimed at awarding Ugandan tech innovators at all levels.

While speaking at the awarding function, the minister of Information and Communications Technology, Hon. John Nasasira said his ministry will put in place an innovations fund to support the innovators beyond the award.

He also emphasized that Uganda cannot develop without harnessing innovative technologies.

Ultimate Multimedia Consult team members, the brain behind Yaaka Digital learning Network

The Executive Director UCC, Geoffrey Mutabaazi called on more corporate organisations to support the ACIA awards as a way of building the technology innovations capacity in Uganda.

He said UCC is starting this process from primary and secondary schools and they have found many interesting ideas from pupils and students on how they can use technology to solve day to day challenges.

You can watch the video below showing how Yaaka Digital Learning Network works.

Below are the winners of ACIA 2015 AWARDS per category.

Uganda ICT Visionsonaries

• 2nd runner-up : Dynamo,
• Prize: cash $500
• 1st runner-up : Kiki- Prize: Seed funding $1,250 and cash $750
• Winner: Vital mobi – Prize: Seed funding $2,500 and cash $1,500 and Trophy

Winners of ACIA 2015 Awards posing for a photo with the minister of ICT and ED UCC

Young rising stars

• 2nd runner-up : Arua public Secondary School
• 1st runner-up : Dr Obote College Lira
• Prize for both above: Library Books
• Winner:  St. Peters Secondary School Pallisa – Prize: Cash $1,000, HTC desire, laptop for each member and Trophy

Uganda ICT Explorer

• 2nd runner-up : Parental care PS Bushenyi
• 1st runner-up : Happy Hill Jr Academy from Masindi
• Prize for both above: Library Books
• Winner: Santa Lucia Secondary School- Prize:$ 1,000,  educational tablets, Trophy mifi router from Smile and UGX 400k from Vodafone

ICT for Development Award

• 1st runner-up: BreastIT
• Prize : Implementation Grant $3,750,  cash $1,250 and Trophy
• Winner : Airtel Weza – Prize : Implementation grant $7,500 cash $ 2,500

Digital content Award

• 1st runner-up: Yaka Digital
• Prize : Implementation Grant $ 3,500, and cash $ 1250
• Winner : PM live – Prize :Implementation grant $ 7,500 and $ 2,500 and Trophy

Business Excellence Award

• Winner : eCite –
  Prize : Trophy

Judge’s choice award

• Winner: Kiiki – Prize : MiFi router from smile telecom and a trophy

People’s choice Award

• Winner: Dynamo Charger

The post Yaaka Digital learning Network scoops ACIA 2015 Award first appeared on Uganda Multimedia News & Information.

The firms include Brivid Uganda Ltd, Widestar Digital (U) Ltd, Mac Viva Global Holdings Ltd, BIT Technologies (U) Ltd, Future Electronics (U) Ltd, Icomsys Africa Ltd, eWorld Technologies Limited.

Others are;

• Kagadi Technical Services
• Visual Consult Uganda Ltd
• Roise de Classe (U) Ltd
• Trans-African Container
• Space Digital Technology Ltd
• Green PowerSolutions
• URI Trading Company.

According to UCC Media Relations Specialist, Isaac Kalembe, the Commission provided space to these operators at Communications House (Ground Floor) to sell their Set Top Boxes (STB) but only three companies – Brevid, Mac Viva and e-World have taken up the offer.

Having a Free to Air set top box means that there are no monthly subscriptions, there is only one time pay at time of purchase of the set top box and one can receive all the Free to Air channels; the channels being watched now on analogue TV before the digital migration.

The process of switching off the analogue signal in Uganda is expected to be complete by June 10th 2015. After that, all TV viewers in Uganda will need to have a set-top-box (STB) for every analogue TV or use a digital TV in order to receive television services.

UCC STB Vendors List – May 13, 2015

The post Digital Migration: UCC approves 15 firms to sale Free-to-Air Set Top Boxes first appeared on Uganda Multimedia News & Information.

The Executive Director of UCC, Godfrey Mutabaazi says that recently UCC published a quality of service report for the period October –December 2011, the results of which indicated poor performance by many of the service providers with respect to dropped and blocked calls.

Mutabazi says that the public is informed that UCC in execution of its regulatory oversight has always engaged service providers to improve their networks so as to meet the minimum standards of quality of service in compliance with their licence obligation.

 In a view of the continued unsatisfactory standards in meeting their network quality, the commission has therefore decided to invoke the provision of the Uganda communication’s act relating to serious and repeated breach of the licence conditions, under which continuous provision of poor quality of service by service providers who don’t meet minimum standard set by the UCC in the provision in the provision of mobile voice telephony is penalised.

The commission has developed penalties schedule and after due consultations with stakeholders, it shall be gazetted for implementation. Mutabazi says the commission shall convene a public stakeholders dialogue to discuss the status of the quality of the telecommunications service in the near future. The leading telecommunication companies inUgandaare MTN Uganda, Uganda TelecomUganda, Orange telecomUganda, and Warid telecomUgandaamong others.

The post UCC to punish MTN, Warid over breach of contract first appeared on Uganda Multimedia News & Information.

 Three hundred school heads shall attend the workshop in two lots of 150 each. The workshop is scheduled to take place at the SESEMAT In-Service Training Centre, Kololo S.S., Kampala from January 15-21, 2012 as scheduled below: Lot 1, February 15-18, 2012 and Lot 2, February 18-21, 2012.

The post UCC, Ministry of Education to train school head teachers in ICT first appeared on Uganda Multimedia News & Information.