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.

Uganda Telecom is currently experiencing an unscheduled outage on part of it’s central network.

The development is affecting some groups of prepaid customers across the country.

The company has apologized to its affected customers for any inconvenience and assured them that all its efforts are focused entirely on restoring service.

We shall broadcast again to let everyone affected know as soon as service is restored.
Once again, we apologize for any inconvenience.

Ends

The post Uganda Telecom in total blackout first appeared on Uganda Multimedia News & Information.

Millions of people in the East African Countries of Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, and Tanzania are experiencing internet service interruptions and businesses relying on internet services are about to collapse. Such businesses include computer service centres, computer training centres, website designers and internet cafes.

The owners of businesses relying on internet for survival have written memos to their service providers such as MTN, Airetel, Orange Telecom, Uganda telecom, Vodacom and Warid telecom for an explanation.

In the Republic of Uganda, Orange telecom has sent messages to her customers reading that “Dear valued customers; we are experiencing a service interruption on our back up link to Kenya which has affected your internet experience. We have been told that MTN, Warid, UTL and Airtel have written similar messages to their customers.

The post Millions experience internet service interruptions first appeared on Uganda Multimedia News & Information.

The government has said that it will not renew the licenses of the mobile phone service providers if they do not improve services for their customers.

The ICT State Minister, Nyombi Thembo while talking at the meeting of telecommunication companies in Kampala said that there are many reports from the general public complaining of poor service delivery in telecommunications industry.

Thembo says that the reports got from the members of the public will act as the basis for renewing the licenses of operation.

He said that it is the government’s responsibility to protect its citizens from the exploitation of the capitalists.

There are a number of mobile phone service providers in Uganda including Airtel, MTN, Warid, Orange and Uganda Telecom and about 10 million Ugandans have mobile phones.

The post Uganda Telephone companies risk losing licenses first appeared on Uganda Multimedia News & Information.

Even though the magazine was reported not to be selling, the sponsor kept on pumping in into money until he got some misunderstandings with its editor, Sean Ndawula.

Sources say that Sean breached the agreement he had signed with the sponsor of the magazine blocking the chances of getting the cash to print Elyt magazine.

We have been told that Sean had agreed to give the sponsor of his magazine 30% of the total revenue but when the magazine reportedly got an advert from Uganda telecom, the editor failed to remit the 30% to the sponsor forcing him to quit the business.

By James Okello

The post Elyt Magazine folds after boss quits business first appeared on Uganda Multimedia News & Information.

UTL MTN feud to affect customers

Uganda Telecom today issued a statement saying they have paid all interconnection fees due to MTN in November 2010 and January 2011.

“There is however legal proceedings that are in court where Uganda Telecom disputes invoiced figures from MTN of Ushs 3.8bn and we await court ruling on 28th April 2011. There is an additional Ushs 2.4 bn which is in dispute but not in court.  Interconnect fees for the year 2010 is pending due to the reconciliation minutes not being approved by both parties at present,” UTL Markerting and Communications Manager, Mark Kaheru said.

MTN yesterday said UTL subscribers will from March 14^th 2011 not be able t make calls to MTN numbers because of failure by UTL to pay over a 20 billion shillings debt that has accumulated unpaid over a period of three years.

“UTL has continuously defaulted on the settlement of these payments. Interconnect fees are pre-paid by customers, especially since the number of pre-paid customers by far form the majority of subscribers. UTL has failed to justify over the years why they are not remitting these payments,” MTN Uganda Chief Executive Officer, Themba M. Khumalo said yesterday.

Many people are left wondering who is telling the truth and how two high profile companies reached this far of washing their dirty linen  in public.

The sector regulator, the Uganda Communications Commission to which the two sides say they unsuccessfully submitted their disputes is yet to pronounce itself on the matter that will affect more than 1.5 million UTL subscribers unable to make calls to MTN numbers.

Ultimate Media

The post Uganda Telecoms denies owing MTN interconnection fees as feud deepens first appeared on Uganda Multimedia News & Information.

Yesse Oenga Celetel Uganda Managing Director

The Managing Director of Zain Uganda, Yesse Oenga today launched the 200 Uganda shillings recharge card to enable Zain subscribers buy airtime at the lowest rates.

He said research in the telecom consumer market had shown that affordability was a key factor in increasing access and usage of mobile telecommunications in Uganda, which prompted Zain to reduce the amount of money someone needs to have in order to make a phone call.

Oenga said Zain’s strategic 200 shillings airtime scratch card will allow customers to make a phone call for at least a minute, thus availing more communications options for the customer.

Both Zain, MTN Uganda, Uganda Telecom, Warid Telecom and Orange Uganda have been having 500 shilling recharge card as the lowest airtime card a customer can purchase.

The post Zan introduces 200 shillings airtime to cut in on competitive telecom market first appeared on Uganda Multimedia News & Information.

Uganda Telecommunication Company popularly known as mango in some circles has joined other telecommunication companies in the country by introducing a 500 shillings airtime card.

Uganda Telecom

Uganda telecom now has airtime card from 500, 1,000, 2,000, 5,000, 10,000 and 20,000 shillings. It had been the only telecommunication company in Uganda that did not have the 500 shillings airtime card.

Other companies which sell airtime cards from 500 shillings to 20,000 shillings are MTN, Orange Uganda, Warid telecom and Zain Uganda.

The press release from Uganda Telecom today indicated that the 500 shillings airtime card is now available in any part of the country.

“The 500/= airtime card is now available! Go to the nearest Uganda telecom outlet now, and buy 500/= airtime, Uganda Telecom is all about you,” the statement reads in parts.

By Ultimate Media

The post Uganda Telecom introduces 500 shillings airtime card first appeared on Uganda Multimedia News & Information.

Zain Uganda on Monday announced it is offering 25 minutes to any of its subscribers who load 500 Uganda shillings, and an additional 30 free short message service or sms to other Zain subscribers.

The offer dubbed “Zain Kika” s so far the lowest of the daily load and call for free packages that Uganda mobile phone companies are offering.

Started by Warid Telecom as Pakalast where the company offered full day free Warid to Warid calls for any subscriber who loaded 2,000 shillings per day, the same package has been adopted by MTN Uganda, Uganda Telecom and Orange Uganda, with Zain the latest on the bandwagon.

MTN Uganda asks its subscribers to load 3,000 shillings and get 60 minutes of calls to MTN numbers within 24 hours, while Uganda Telecom offers free calls to Utl subscribers for extra airtime offered after a subscriber loads a particular amount of Utl airtime.

The five Mobile telecommunication providers in Uganda have been rolling out promotion after promotion aimed at tapping and retaining subscribers in a surely heating up mobile telephone industry.

By Ultimate Media

The post Zain Kika launches as completion in mobile phone market intensfies first appeared on Uganda Multimedia News & Information.