KAMPALA – The new wave of 4G connectivity and voice-calling has left all ‘stones’ in the game unturned! Ironic, right! Analysis of the voice and data plans of Uganda’s telecommunication firms unearths shocking revelations as experts and subscribers disclose.
The telecommunication sector in Uganda has, in the last decade, experienced rapid growth; aided by the number of aspects not limited to voice and data communication, and mobile money transfer service.
With the oligopolistic physique of the telecom industry, MTN Uganda, Airtel, and Africell (formerly Orange) have continued to swing axe with each seeking to offer more value to its subscribers – price-warfare.
In March 2019, an insightful article by a Uganda daily, Daily Monitor (March 7, 2019), revealed that the number of mobile phone users shot to a whopping 23.3million, regulator, Uganda Communications Commission, confirmed this. UCC also acknowledged a 56% mobile phone penetration rate.
In a recent analysis of data and voice plans, interesting facts were revealed clearing spelling –out a comparison of both normal and combo bundles with validity ranging from daily, weekly to monthly bundles.
Normal Data Plans
For a low as UGX 1,000, Both MTN Uganda and Airtel offered a daily bundle of up to 100MBs in contrast to Africell’s 150MBs. (hold fort). A quick analysis of the weekly bundles revealed that Africell subscribers enjoyed 1.5GB internet for UGX.8,000 only rubbing off MTN Uganda’s same bundle at UGX 10,000. Airtel Uganda handed its subscribers a cool 1GB weekly data at only UGX5,000.
In the monthly data plans ‘face-off’, MTN Uganda subscribers enjoyed 3GB and 30GB at UGX20,000 and UGX 30,000 respectively in contrast to Africell offering 8GB and 35GB at UGX25,000 and UGX 75,000. Airtel Uganda continues to offer 9GB and 25GB at UGX30,000 and UGX 90,000.
| DAILY & WEELY VOICE BUNDLES (ON-NET) | ||||||
| Normal Voice | AFC | MTN | Airtel | |||
| Daily | Mins(onnet) | Price(ugx) | Mins(onnet) | Price(ugx) | Mins(onnet) | Price(ugx) |
| 25 | 500 | 6 | 500 | N/A | N/A | |
| 75 | 1,000 | 20 | 1,000 | 30 | 1,000 | |
| Weekly | 350 | 5,000 | N/A | N/A | 225 | 6,000 |
Combos
Combos (inform abbr. for Combination) usually come as a ‘katogo’ of voice call, SMS (on-net and off-net) and data ‘freebies’ for the subscriber that seldom love to two or more birds with one stone. Intriguing, right!
A quick review of daily combo bundles, Africell dished out 20 Minutes on-net and 2 minutes off-net at UGX 500 with customers enjoying a bonus 20MBs internet. Telecom giant, MTN Uganda, handed its customers 5 minutes on-net and 1-minute off-net voice calls with no data & SMS bundle.
Weekly: Airtel Uganda customers enjoy a combo of 500 minutes (on-net), 500SMS and 500MBs for as low as UGX 20,000 and MTN Uganda shuffling it deck to hand its customer 50 minutes, 250SMS, 250MBs and an additional 500MBs as a social pack at UGX 20,000 per month.
| AFC | MTN | Airtel | |||||||||||||||
| Voice Combo | Mins(onnet) | Mins(offnet) | SMS(onnet) | MBs | price(ugx) | Mins(onnet) | Mins(offnet) | SMS(onnet) | MBs | WTF(MBs) | price(ugx) | Mins(onnet) | Mins(offnet) | SMS(onnet) | MBs | price(ugx) | |
| Daily | 20 | 2 | 20 | 20 | 500 | 5 | 1 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | |
| 30 | 3 | 30 | 50 | 750 | 8 | 2 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 10 | N/A | 10 | 10 | 750 | ||
| Weekly | 200 | 20 | 200 | 200 | 5,000 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | |
Onnet Voice bundles
At as low as UGX1,000, MTN and Airtel subscribers are able to enjoy 20 (MTN to MTN) and 30 minutes (Airtel to Airtel) respective with Africell subscribers carousing a cool 75minutes.
In quick honkytonk into weekly voice bundles, Airtel customers parceled-away with UGX6,000 to ‘keep conversations’ going a tune of 225minutes in contrast to Africell’s 350minutes for as low as UGX5,000.
After a definite look at the rates, we were able to engage a few mobile users to share some insights about their preferred voice and data service provider. Their reactions couldn’t get any better.
“I use MTN Uganda, by default, for both voice and data plans. I often work in the field at the organization (name withheld on request)” said an ostensibly jolly, Aidah Agwang scolding other telecoms.
“I lookout for more! So Africell is my guy in this! With my ka 1,000, I am able to blast 150MBs or load 75minutes to bang KB with my gangos,” said Kibirango Peter, a video-library owner in Kyanja, city suburb.
