With the help of its technical partners, American Tower Corporation (ATC) and Ubuntu, telecom operator Airtel Uganda inaugurated 29 new 4G telecom towers last week. With these, the company will improve both the network coverage and the quality of services offered to its customers.
As part of the new licensing system adopted by the state in 2019, Airtel Uganda purchased a national telecommunications license in December 2020 for USD 74.6 million, valid for 20 years. In particular, the company is required to serve 90% of the country within five years following the license start date.
In 2021, Airtel Africa launched an extensive asset monetization program that includes the sale of a portion of its telecom tower portfolio in a number of its African markets. Currently, the company is working with independent telecommunications tower companies to develop its network, either by leasing space from their existing infrastructure or by hiring them to build specific towers for network coverage needs.
According to the latest statistics from the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC), approximately 69% of the population has access to mobile services. The development of new telecom towers should enable Airtel Uganda to expand its million-subscriber base and consolidate its position in the Ugandan telecom market, where it competes with MTN in particular.