Home Members Old Website TechTips Join WOUGNET Multimedia Platform Help

Main Menu

Login

Newsletter

Subscribe to our monthly e-newsletter,
WOUGNET Update Newsletter.

Syndicate

Upcoming Events

Mon, Feb 27th
CSW 56: Rural Women Empowerment, Poverty Reduction, and Rural Development

WOUGNET Office

WOUGNET is located at Plot 55 Kenneth Dale, Off Kira Road, Kamwokya. Directions: After the Kamwokya market as you travel along Kira road, turn off to your left onto Kenneth Dale, (just before the football field and Kira Road Police Station). Once on Kenneth Dale, look out for the WOUGNET sign post on your left towards the end of the road. Click here for a map.

Go to:

WOUGNET

Women of Uganda Network is a NGO initiated by women`s organisations in Uganda to develop the use of ICTs among women as tools to share information and address issues collectively. Read More...

WOUGNET Gallery

www.flickr.com

This is a badge showing public photos and videos of WOUGNET hosted on Flickr. Click the images to go to the gallery.

Experts in mobile communications have urged Uganda’s operators to reduce the cost of mobile broadband to increase the penetration of mobile phone-based services among people. Cheap mobile broadband is also a major incentive for the growth of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) firms.

The demand for low cost broadband connectivity was made by speakers at the inaugural meeting of Mobile Monday Kampala (MoMoKLA), held at the Orange Uganda head office in Kampala on Monday (February 15). The meeting convened at least 85 participants from the mobile communication industry, academia, and users of mobile devices to discuss; The Future of Mobile Broadband in Uganda, which was the adopted theme of the meeting.

Speaking at the meeting, Simon Kaheru, Director Business Convergence, SMS Media, observed that with mobile broadband in Uganda, internet-based services and commerce would increase as the economy witnesses an influx in outsourcing for many reasons other than just Internet access. But for this to happen he said; “The cost of connection needs to come down.”

Dr. Dorothy Okello, the Coordinator of Women of Uganda Network (WOUGNET), decried the current cost of mobile technologies and broadband saying that it prohibits many women from being able to access mobile broadband services to enable them work at home. Monthly service charges for mobile broadband connection in Uganda range between UGX49,000 ($25) and UGX120,000 ($61) per month for just 1GB. “For the communities we serve, affordable and available energy solutions are what we need.”

She added that mobile broadband presents an opportunity for low cost access to a lot of information, engagement and participation of women at all levels in the economy. “We need to promote low cost, low energy mobile devices and the use of community networks as a way of enhancing the affordability of mobile broadband services.”

Engineer Patrick Mwesigwa, the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC), predicted that the cost of mobile broadband in Uganda would reduce with the increase of more players in the industry and entry of more fibre optic cable like the East African Submarine System (EASSy) cable. The cable is due to be launched mid this year to compliment Seacom and TEAMs which are already operational.

Commenting on the high costs of broadband, Edouard Blondeau, Chief Officer Strategy, Marketing and Communications, Orange Uganda said his company has now reduced the cost of mobile broadband to as low as Shs49,000 ($25) per month, which is a great step forward towards achieving lower internet costs.

John Musajjakawa, Senior Investment Executive, Uganda Investments Authority (UIA) called for massive investment in the infrastructures of the mobile broadband service providers to improve capacity and the quality of services delivered to consumers. He said mobile broadband should be used to determine investments decisions to meet consumer expectations. “If you look at the major components in broadband like Wi-Fi, 3G/4G, you are going to decide where to invest,” Mr. Musajjakawa added.

The first meeting of Mobile Monday Kampala has now given way for the official launch of the chapter in Uganda, on March 8 -the eve of the 2010 Digital Africa Summit Conference due in Kampala. Dr. Okello applauded the launch of Mobile Monday Kampala meetings describing the forums as great platforms for tech-savvy people to meet and connect with other ordinary users to share knowledge.

MobileMonday Kampala - Orange - PRESS RELEASE, Feb 15, 2009

Note to the Media:

Mobile Monday (MoMo) is a global network of mobile industry professionals and startups in 100 cities around the world. Each city chapter discusses issues specific to the local needs in monthly forums, but given the global nature of the mobile industry there is also an exchange of ideas and speakers from around the world.

Originating in Helsinki, MoMo is now present on every continent of the world, and this annually constitutes the largest event network for the mobile industry. MoMo also holds annual global summits and awards for the best mobile startups in its member network. MoMo is highly regarded by the mobile industry leaders as the cutting edge of mobile innovation.

Mobile Monday Kampala (MoMoKLA):

MoMoKLA is the first Ugandan chapter of Mobile Monday Global, which was formed on January 20 2010. The chapter with at least 40 members from all the leading telecommunications and ICT companies in Uganda will be launched on March 8, 2010.

For more information, Contact:

Walter or Esther

Ag. Media and Public Relations Executives

Mobile Monday Kampala (MoMoKLA)

Kampala Uganda

Cell: +256773459765 or +256702459765 (Walter)

E-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Cell+256772491950 (Esther)

E-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

< Prev		Next >

[ Back ]