KAMPALA – SEACOM, the pan-African telecommunications service provider, has unveiled its regional expansion strategy for the Ugandan and East African markets.
The unveiling was held at the Kampala Serena Hotel on March 10 and was attended by a cross-section of clients, business partners, staff, representatives of key government ministries and parastatals in Uganda, and SEACOM executives from Uganda, East Africa, and the Group Office.
Unveiling the regional expansion strategy was Mr Oliver Fortuin – SEACOM Group CEO – flanked by Mr Tejpal Bedi – SEACOM MD for East Africa, Mr Dennis Okiror and Mr Rodney Mujuzi both
Key Account Managers at SEACOM Uganda.
The regional expansion strategy has been boosted by acquiring critical fibre infrastructure assets to propel their service offering in Uganda.
Speaking at the event, Mr Tejpal Bedi – SEACOM MD for East Africa stated that the regional expansion strategy is a testament to SEACOMs commitment to providing competitive end-to-end connectivity and ICT solutions across the region.
He said East Africa and Uganda have been an important market for SEACOM ever since they first arrived on the shores of Mombasa in 2009.
“By officially establishing ourselves in Uganda through proprietary facilities and resources, we are prioritising widespread connectivity and opening up opportunities to work with businesses in search of quality communication services,” he noted, adding that the acquisition goes hand in hand with their five-year strategy into expanding operations in the region.
On his part, Mr Oliver Fortuin – SEACOM Group CEO, stated that the regional expansion strategy would see SEACOM Uganda make significant strides in offering added value to their clients by improving on their current physical network:
Mr Fortuin explained that as part of the regional expansion, they will increase their fibre footprint within the Ugandan capital city of Kampala and surrounding towns.
Speaking at the event, Hon. Kabyanga Godfrey Baluku, the Minister of State For National Guidance noted that telecoms have supported electronic transactions, facilitating electronic commerce; courier services deliver goods bought electronically and the expansion of SEACOM’s fibre into the Ugandan market comes when the government and the population need it the most.
He said that the government has committed to improving internet connectivity and the provision of other technological interventions and that is why the regional expansion strategy by SEACOM is timely.
“On behalf of the Government of Uganda, we want to congratulate SEACOM on its regional expansion strategy for Uganda. You can count on my ministry and me to support you where you need help. As you know, I am just a call away!”
He added: “We wish SEACOM all the best as it rapidly deploys its new services and infrastructure in response to current and future customer requirements that will enable the growth of Uganda’s economy.”
SEACOM has provided wholesale solutions to Uganda since its inception in 2009 and corporate solutions since 2018. The leading service provider enjoys a large footprint in Uganda’s financial services sector (FSI) and works with government and non-governmental organisations, including those in the education, technology and hospitality sectors.
Although small businesses dominate, Uganda is home to a thriving private-sector with thousands of medium to large companies across Kampala and the central region, there is also a growing Internet penetration rate with competitive connectivity prices compared to other countries in the area.
Mr. Joseph Kiggundu, the Uganda Investment Authority (UIA) Director in charge of One Stop Center shared that their mission is to promote, attract and retain value-adding domestic and foreign direct investments through targeted marketing and aftercare services with the ultimate vision of making Uganda the preferred Investment Destination in Africa.
He explained that SEACOM has taken gigantic strides since it launched Africa’s first broadband submarine cable system along the continent’s Eastern and Southern coasts in 2009 to this day.
“Today, SEACOM is the preferred partner for African businesses, network carriers, and service providers, thanks to its ownership of Africa’s most extensive ICT data infrastructure. On behalf of the Uganda Investment Authority, I am happy to state that we are very excited about the regional expansion strategy that SEACOM is currently undertaking to expand its ICT services further and footprint in Uganda,” he said.
The acquisition of established infrastructure will allow for further expansion into East Africa, enabling SEACOM to provide seamless integration of its services for clients across Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania, and decreasing the reliance on third-party last-mile providers to deliver connectivity solutions – solutions that include wireless and fibre Internet access, cloud connectivity, as well as hosting facilities, such as email and security, such as distributed denial of service (DDoS) protection software.
SEACOM launched Africa’s first broadband submarine cable system along the continent’s Eastern and Southern coasts in 2009.
Today SEACOM is the preferred partner for African businesses, network carriers, and service providers. Through its ownership of Africa’s most extensive ICT data infrastructure – including multiple subsea cables, a resilient, continent-wide IP-MPLS network, and Metro Fibre in major African Cities.
SEACOM provides a full suite of flexible, scalable and high-quality communications and cloud solutions that enable the growth of the continent’s economy.
