Communications in Uganda
Encyclopedia
There are a number of systems of communication in Uganda, including a system of telephony, radio and television broadcasts, internet, mail, and several newspapers. The use of phones and the internet in Uganda has rapidly increased in the last few years.
, and operated from April 1, 1903 to July 22, 1920. From 1948 to 1977, postal service in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda was provided by the East African Posts and Telecommunications Corporation. With the decolonization of Africa, Uganda took over control of its postal system, although until 1961 stamps from the colonial postal system were being issued along side Uganda's stamps.
, the current regulator of communications in Uganda.
As of March 2010, the telephone communications system was described by the CIA factbook as "seriously inadequate" with "the number of main lines is still deficient", but with growing cell phone service and available email and internet. As of 2004, Uganda Telecom Limited(UTL) and MTN Uganda Limited are the two telecommunications operators licensed by the Uganda Communications Commission.
In 2008, there were 168,500 main telephone lines in use in Uganda
, making Uganda one-hundred and twenty eighth in terms of countries having the most main telephone lines. In 2008, there were 8.555 million mobile telephones in use, making Uganda sixty eighth in terms of countries having the most mobile telephones in use. This was an increase from 2006 when there were 108,600 main telephone lines in use in Uganda, and from 2007 when there were 4.195 million mobile telephones in use.
As of March 2010, telephone traffic within is carried by wire. Microwave radi relay, and radiotelephone communication stations are used in domestic telecommunications as well, and fixed and mobile cellular systems are used for short range traffic.
As of March 2010, international telephone communication is catered for by an Intelsat
and an Inmarsat
satellite earth station
, along with analog
links to Kenya
and Tanzania
. The international calling code is 256.
for Uganda is ".ug".
In 2009, Uganda had 6,757 internet hosts, making it one-hundred and thirty first in terms of countries with the most internet hosts. In 2008, Uganda has 2.5 million internet users, making it sixty fourth in terms of countries with the most internet users.
In 2006, Uganda had 18 internet service provider
s, providing for 750,000 internet users.
in Uganda. As of 2010, Uganda Post Limited had changed its name to Posta Uganda
.
is the public broadcasting station.
The 2004 Uganda Broadcasting Corporation Act stated that the UBC should be funded by the levying of a television licence
fee. Collection of a licence fee set at USh
20,000 (around €
8.40 or US$
10.80) started in 2005. However, collection was subsequently halted by President Yoweri Museveni
. There has since been pressure to reinstate the licence fee to maintain UBC's independence.
There are 122 FM radio stations, 7 AM
and 2 shortwave
. These serve 2.6 million radios.
As of May 2008, there are 2 major PayTV providers i.e. DSTV and GTV. There are 22 television broadcast stations, serving 1,785,000 televisions. There are 15,000 HD Ready telelvisions.
, Sunday Vision, The Daily Monitor
, The Sunday Monitor, The Red Pepper
, The Sunday Pepper, The Uganda Observer
, The East African. The East African Procurement News is a weekly business newspaper.
History
1900 to 1970
The postal service of for the protectorates of British East Africa and Uganda was called East Africa and Uganda ProtectoratesEast Africa and Uganda Protectorates
East Africa and Uganda Protectorates was the name used by the combined postal service of the protectorates of British East Africa and Uganda between 1 April 1903 and 22 July 1920....
, and operated from April 1, 1903 to July 22, 1920. From 1948 to 1977, postal service in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda was provided by the East African Posts and Telecommunications Corporation. With the decolonization of Africa, Uganda took over control of its postal system, although until 1961 stamps from the colonial postal system were being issued along side Uganda's stamps.
1990's to the Present Day
The Uganda Posts and Telecommunications Corporation had a monopoly over Uganda's communications sector until the Uganda Communications Act was enacted in 1997. The act created the Uganda Communications CommissionUganda Communications Commission
The Uganda Communications Commission is according to its website "the regulator of the communications industry in Uganda". Among the responsibilities of the UCC are licensing, regulation, infrastructure development and attention to rural communication service. The chairman of the commission is...
, the current regulator of communications in Uganda.
Telephony
In 2008, there were 168,500 main telephone lines in use in Uganda
Uganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
, making Uganda one-hundred and twenty eighth in terms of countries having the most main telephone lines. In 2008, there were 8.555 million mobile telephones in use, making Uganda sixty eighth in terms of countries having the most mobile telephones in use. This was an increase from 2006 when there were 108,600 main telephone lines in use in Uganda, and from 2007 when there were 4.195 million mobile telephones in use.
As of March 2010, telephone traffic within is carried by wire. Microwave radi relay, and radiotelephone communication stations are used in domestic telecommunications as well, and fixed and mobile cellular systems are used for short range traffic.
As of March 2010, international telephone communication is catered for by an Intelsat
Intelsat
Intelsat, Ltd. is a communications satellite services provider.Originally formed as International Telecommunications Satellite Organization , it was—from 1964 to 2001—an intergovernmental consortium owning and managing a constellation of communications satellites providing international broadcast...
and an Inmarsat
Inmarsat
Inmarsat plc is a British satellite telecommunications company, offering global, mobile services. It provides telephony and data services to users worldwide, via portable or mobile terminals which communicate to ground stations through eleven geostationary telecommunications satellites...
satellite earth station
Satellite earth station
A ground station, earth station, or earth terminal is a terrestrial terminal station designed for extraplanetary telecommunication with spacecraft, and/or reception of radio waves from an astronomical radio source. Ground stations are located either on the surface of the Earth, or within Earth's...
, along with analog
Analog signal
An analog or analogue signal is any continuous signal for which the time varying feature of the signal is a representation of some other time varying quantity, i.e., analogous to another time varying signal. It differs from a digital signal in terms of small fluctuations in the signal which are...
links to Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
and Tanzania
Tanzania
The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
. The international calling code is 256.
Internet
The top-level domainTop-level domain
A top-level domain is one of the domains at the highest level in the hierarchical Domain Name System of the Internet. The top-level domain names are installed in the root zone of the name space. For all domains in lower levels, it is the last part of the domain name, that is, the last label of a...
for Uganda is ".ug".
In 2009, Uganda had 6,757 internet hosts, making it one-hundred and thirty first in terms of countries with the most internet hosts. In 2008, Uganda has 2.5 million internet users, making it sixty fourth in terms of countries with the most internet users.
In 2006, Uganda had 18 internet service provider
Internet service provider
An Internet service provider is a company that provides access to the Internet. Access ISPs directly connect customers to the Internet using copper wires, wireless or fiber-optic connections. Hosting ISPs lease server space for smaller businesses and host other people servers...
s, providing for 750,000 internet users.
Postal Service
As of 2004, Uganda Post Limited was the only postal service licensed by the Uganda Communications CommissionUganda Communications Commission
The Uganda Communications Commission is according to its website "the regulator of the communications industry in Uganda". Among the responsibilities of the UCC are licensing, regulation, infrastructure development and attention to rural communication service. The chairman of the commission is...
in Uganda. As of 2010, Uganda Post Limited had changed its name to Posta Uganda
Posta Uganda
Posta Uganda, originally named Uganda Posta Limited, is the company solely responsible for postal service in Uganda.-History:Uganda Post Limited was founded as part of the East African Community...
.
Radio and television
The Uganda Broadcasting CorporationUganda Broadcasting Corporation
Uganda Broadcasting Corporation is the public broadcaster of Uganda. It was founded as a result of the "Uganda Broadcasting Corporation Act, 2004", which merged the operations of Uganda Television and Radio Uganda...
is the public broadcasting station.
The 2004 Uganda Broadcasting Corporation Act stated that the UBC should be funded by the levying of a television licence
Television licence
A television licence is an official licence required in many countries for the reception of television broadcasts...
fee. Collection of a licence fee set at USh
Ugandan shilling
The Shilling is the currency of Uganda. Technically, the shilling is subdivided into 100 cents but no subdivisions have been issued since the revaluation of the shilling in 1987.-History:...
20,000 (around €
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
8.40 or US$
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
10.80) started in 2005. However, collection was subsequently halted by President Yoweri Museveni
Yoweri Museveni
Yoweri Kaguta Museveni is a Ugandan politician and statesman. He has been President of Uganda since 26 January 1986.Museveni was involved in the war that deposed Idi Amin Dada, ending his rule in 1979, and in the rebellion that subsequently led to the demise of the Milton Obote regime in 1985...
. There has since been pressure to reinstate the licence fee to maintain UBC's independence.
There are 122 FM radio stations, 7 AM
AM broadcasting
AM broadcasting is the process of radio broadcasting using amplitude modulation. AM was the first method of impressing sound on a radio signal and is still widely used today. Commercial and public AM broadcasting is carried out in the medium wave band world wide, and on long wave and short wave...
and 2 shortwave
Shortwave
Shortwave radio refers to the upper MF and all of the HF portion of the radio spectrum, between 1,800–30,000 kHz. Shortwave radio received its name because the wavelengths in this band are shorter than 200 m which marked the original upper limit of the medium frequency band first used...
. These serve 2.6 million radios.
As of May 2008, there are 2 major PayTV providers i.e. DSTV and GTV. There are 22 television broadcast stations, serving 1,785,000 televisions. There are 15,000 HD Ready telelvisions.
Newspapers
Daily newspapers in Uganda include The New VisionNew Vision
New Vision is one of two main national newspapers in Uganda.-History:It was established in its current form in 1986 by the Ugandan Government. New Vision is broadly sympathetic to the government of President Yoweri Museveni. It was founded in 1955 as the Uganda Argus, a British colonial government...
, Sunday Vision, The Daily Monitor
The Monitor (Uganda)
The Daily Monitor is Uganda’s leading independent daily newspaper. The "Monitor" name is shared by the Saturday Monitor and Sunday Monitor, which are also published by Monitor Publications Limited. It has an online readership of over 1,000,000.The newspaper was established in 1992 as The Monitor...
, The Sunday Monitor, The Red Pepper
Red Pepper (newspaper)
Red Pepper is a daily tabloid newspaper in Uganda which began publication June 19, 2001. Deliberately mirroring the style of tabloids in other countries, the paper is known for its mix of sensationalism, scandal, and frequent nudity...
, The Sunday Pepper, The Uganda Observer
The Weekly Observer
The Weekly Observer is a weekly newspaper based in Hemingway, SC that covers the areas of Hemingway, Johnsonville, Pamplico and Williamsburg County. The paper, now owned by Media General, has been published since 1981. The newspaper features editorial content including columns by correspondents and...
, The East African. The East African Procurement News is a weekly business newspaper.
See also
- Uganda Communications CommissionUganda Communications CommissionThe Uganda Communications Commission is according to its website "the regulator of the communications industry in Uganda". Among the responsibilities of the UCC are licensing, regulation, infrastructure development and attention to rural communication service. The chairman of the commission is...
- List of terrestrial fibre optic cable projects in Africa