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with the continued success of mtN uganda’s services and a loyal customer base, the future looks increasingly bright for the company Writer Matt Bone Project Manager Donovan Smith
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TN Uganda launched their commercial services in Uganda in October 1998 and has seen its market share rise every year since. Today, MTN’s share stands at 55.3% in a highly competitive market of 6 players. Through a commitment to a positive customer experience and the development of innovative products, MTN has grown to become the leading telecommunications company in Uganda, currently serving in excess of 9.7 million customers. Ernst Fonternel, Chief Marketing Officer for MTN Uganda has overseen the latest surge of new strategies and policies being put in place within the company, that are heralding a new dawn in mobile technology and services. “MTN Uganda has always strived to be the market leader in all aspects of our business. We pride ourselves in giving our customers state-of-the-art technology at their fingertips, no matter where they live in the country. It is a new dawn for Ugandan telecommunications and we are proud to be leading the way,� Fonternel explains.
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innovation and drive
mtN uganda is renowned for its innovation and ambition to be the first to market life-changing telecommunication and It solutions as Fonternel explains: “In 2008, we launched the first mobile money service in uganda with tremendous success while we also revolutionised access to information by heavily investing in our data services. In 2013, mtN launched 4g ltE which together with our national 3g+ and 2g coverage guarantees our customers internet access in over 80% of the total addressable ugandan market. with mtN 4g ltE, our customers get the fastest internet with speeds of up to 100mbps. we are aiming to be a driving force behind uganda’s continued transformation, through telecommunications and ICt innovations. we are leading the delivery of a bold new digital world through a concerted drive to innovate and launch solutions that will make our customers lives a whole lot brighter.” Currently, 2.6 million mtN subscribers use the internet, the majority of which are set up on bundles that are offered in daily, weekly and monthly packages, and
with 4g becoming more commonplace in the country, there is expected to be a rise of new data users in the next 12 months due to faster speeds and an enhanced user experience. mtN uganda has installed over 3200km of fibre optic cable with the goal of laying a further 500km by the end of 2014, which makes mtN one of the biggest fibre optic networks in uganda. It’s worth noting that MTN built Africa’s first fibre-to-thedoor network, which demonstrated the company’s commitment to get customers online. mtN has seen the need for high speed data grow rapidly over the last 12 months and mtN uganda has ensured that they are ready to facilitate this need. “the Fibre optic line we have installed allows us to provide a wide range of telecommunication services, including voice and fax, but more importantly, high speed data and broadband. High speed data networks are essential to allow corporate businesses and individuals to take advantage of the new technological boom in uganda,” Fonternel cites and goes on to say that “mtN want uganda to have the same data speeds as Europe.”
channel it grouP
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hannel It group is a diverse group of companies that plays a major role in bringing
infrastructure, technologies and services to emerging markets that shape the way people live, work, learn and socialise and is africa’s largest independent distributor of mobile network solutions. From the inception of the company in Nigeria in 2003, we have evolved into a diverse group active in the fields of It, telecom Infrastructure, mobile Value added Services and Supplies & Engineering Services for the Power industry. Channel It group addresses the key challenges and issues that companies have in the african telecom industry. we combine the best suppliers and operators under one umbrella in order to effectively deliver our services and financial guarantees to consumers. Channel It group has developed a platform that allows customers to use their SmS to update their social media and receive updates via ordinary mobile messaging services, with over 75,000 already subscribed. with regional head offices in Dubai and lagos, and through several branches and partnerships across the region, we bring products and services developed by our Innovation Center and by leading global vendors to markets in africa, middle East and asia. tel +971 (0)4 3679584 Fax +971 (0)4 3624541
www.channelit-group.com
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ENABLING BETTER LIVES
Regional Head Office: Europe, Africa (excl. West Africa), Middle East and Asia, Channel IT (EMEA) FZ-LLC, Building 11 Office G-05, Dubai Internet City, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Tel: +971 (0)4 3679584 | Fax: +971 (0)4 3624541 | www.channelit-group.com www.aFRICAoutlookmag.com
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We pride ourselves in giving our customers state-of-the-art technology at their fingertips”
mtn mobile money mtN mobilemoney is an electronic wallet service that enables customers to send and receive money anywhere in uganda using their phones. the service provides a fast, secure, affordable and convenient way to send money to anyone on their mobile phone anywhere in uganda no matter the network. mtN uganda are driving forward this service in the strong belief that it will become the preferred method of secure payments for person to person and across businesses. “mobile money has been a revolutionary service offered by mtN to its customers. Being able to send and receive money with just your phone has changed the way money is exchanged in uganda. No longer do you have to go to a bank or financial institution for simple cash withdrawals or deposits, you can now send money on the go 24 hours a day, and if you wish to take out the money from your virtual wallet, you can do that as well,” says Fonternel, who continues by saying, “with over 20,000 mtN mobile money agents across uganda, customers can retrieve their money quickly and easily.”
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Huawei Technologies Summarise what Huawei Technologies’ do and where are you based?
Huawei is the leading global ICT solutions provider and a 315th of the Fortune Global 500 companies. Through our dedication to customer-centric innovation and strong partnerships, Huawei has established end-to-end capabilities across carrier networks, enterprise and consumer markets by providing competitive solutions and services. Huawei cooperates with 45 of the world’s top 50 carriers, our services have been deployed in 170 countries plus, serving more than onethird of the world’s population. Huawei has 157,000+ employees worldwide with 70,000+ of these in Research and Development, which occupies almost half of the total number. Huawei invests more than 10% of its total sales revenue into Research and Development every year, and in 2013, the figure was 14%. Huawei Technologies Co Ltd is based in China, Longgang District Shenzhen City.
What are Huawei Technologies’ core values?
Our core values are deeply rooted in every aspect of our business. They are the internal driving force for the company and are our commitments to the eco system. These include; customers first, dedication, continuous improvement, openness and initiative, integrity and team work.
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Radoslaw Kedzia, Managing Director
How are you involved with MTN Uganda?
As strategic partners, Huawei and MTN started cooperation early in 2003 in areas such as transmission, metropolitan area network, data core network, site energy solutions, 2G, 3G, 4G and LTE solutions. Huawei has also supported MTN who have become the leading operator in Uganda both in voice and data market through the launch of 3G in 2010 and 4G LTE in 2013. Huawei also interacts actively with MTN for CSR. In 2012 and 2013, Huawei partnered with MTN for the annual MTN Kampala marathon under the themes ‘Run for Life’ and ‘Run For Water’ with all proceeds going towards providing clean water to people of Kiryandongo and Karamoja in north eastern Uganda respectively.
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3rd Floor, Rwenzori Towers, Plot 6, Nakasero Road | P.O.Box 25686, Kampala, Uganda | www.huawei.com
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Investing in the Country
Over the last 15 years, MTN Uganda has continually invested into the country’s telecommunication infrastructure, with US$140 million in just the last two years alone, being pumped back into the community and country. This level of continued commitment to both Corporate Social Responsibility and Uganda’s ICT needs has won it plaudits from consumers and government alike. MTN Uganda are not stopping there though. To facilitate the need for a strong telecommunications infrastructure, the company has adopted a wireless approach to providing telecommunications services to the Ugandan market, which has already seen consumers reaping the benefits of wireless access. “With the lack of good roads and power grids in the country, we have thought about how we can help those living in rural areas gain access to the same quality communication services as those living in the big cities. We began rolling out wireless network coverage in these areas and now cover in excess of 90% of the population, providing services in over 150 towns and villages across Uganda,” Fonternel states.
We have thought about how we can help those living in rural areas gain access to the same quality communication services as those living in the big cities”
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Soliton telmec Soliton has emerged as a leading player in the ICt industry. Quality, value, trust and dedication to our customers is the cornerstone of our business. all Soliton services are known for reliability, performance and cost efficiency in their specific applications and carry quality assurance to international standards. our focus is building and maintaining the required infrastructure to enable individuals, businesses and communities access the Internet and related information and communication resources. Soliton undertakes the construction and support of infrastructure for service providers offering services to the public, governmental institutions for their own use or for the public as well as Enterprise networks. tel +254 724 652222 email info@soliton.co.ke
www.soliton.co.ke
customer care
We want our customer experience to be second to none, so that the user feels that everything has been done to make them welcome”
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Consumer experience is one of the main priorities of mtN uganda. the company regularly opens forums on Facebook and other social media in order to listen to customer feedback. this customer feedback has been listened to by mtN uganda and acted upon as Fonternel explains: “when customers wanted us to have more service centres that dealt with their problems and queries first time, we listened and created our 24/7 call centres. we want our customer experience to be second to none, so that the user feels that everything has been done to make them feel welcome.” mtN uganda offers customer care services in 7 languages for customers who call the help line, and has the biggest number of Customer Service Centres in uganda working extended opening hours.
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bicS BICS delivers best-in-class international wholesale solutions to any communication service provider worldwide. the company has its headquarters in Brussels and offices located on all continents. through its mosaic portfolio, a comprehensive, flexible and innovative suite of solutions, BICS has been servicing the african market for over 15 years now. african operators have been able to rely on BICS’ extensive and fully owned network and its range of innovative wholesale solutions designed to meet the communication needs of the region. thanks to a successful consolidation strategy and a continuing focus on technological advancement and innovation, BICS has achieved a worldleading position in the international Voice and mobile Data markets. For more information check www.bics.com or contact Clémentine Fournier, Regional Vice President africa, at clementine.fournier@bics.com.
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RoamFast
Managed RIM Connectivity
Mobile IP VAS
MMS Transit
Instant Roaming
Business Class Voice
SMS Transit
Wholesale Bandwidth
LTE
FraudGuard
Signalling
Signalling First Class Mobile Voice
OC Roaming
Signalling VAS
Voice VAS
SMART Webvision
IPX Voice
3GRX
IPX Transport
Wavelength
3G Video Telephony
IPX Access
First Class VoIP
Carrier Ethernet
IP Transit Simbox Detection
enabling & empowering mobility BICS delivers best-in-class international wholesale solutions to any communication service provider worldwide. Through its Mosaic portfolio, a comprehensive, flexible and innovative suite of solutions designed to be used individually, or collectively, BICS meets the existing and future requirements of the global telecoms industry. BICS’ headquarter is located in Brussels with regional offices in Bern, Madrid, Dubai, New York and Singapore. We also have a satellite office in Beijing and local representation in Accra, Cape Town, Miami, Montevideo, Nairobi and Toronto. Our team continuously strives to provide our customers with the highest levels of quality, reliability and interoperability enabling them to maximise their end-user value. With our successful consolidation strategy, and a continuing focus on technological advancement and innovation, we have achieved a world-leading position in the international Voice and Mobile Data markets. For more information, please visit: www.bics.com
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business to business Solutions
with a brand name as strong and globally placed as mtN, the company has seen a sharp rise in the number of businesses looking to utilise their solutions available. whether it be bulk bill payments or data centres, mtN uganda has become the go-to company for enterprise solutions of both big and small companies. “we don’t just sell basic business components such as call centres or data handling, we offer complete business solutions encompassing various capabilities including cloud services and web data hosting among others. we are the only company in Uganda to offer a truly global redundancy system, so that in case of a complete data centre failure, the customer’s on line operations site can be rerouted to a different data centre and will continue accessing services normally,” Fonternel remarks.
ericSSon South aFrica
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n the future, everything that benefits from a connection will be connected. People, business and society will use the networks in novel ways, resulting in new possibilities and changing the world we live in - the Networked Society.
MTN Uganda has become the go-to company for enterprise solutions of both big and small”
we, together with our customers, are making this happen. In uganda, Ericsson has partnered with mtN to change people’s lives through projects like Connect to learn and Refugees united. This partnership reflects over 20 year’s engagement in africa with a common goal, to enrich lives. leveraging such partnerships, we will continue driving the use of ICt in addressing our world’s major concerns. South africa: 148 kelvin Drive|woodmead|Parklands 2121|Johannesburg – 730|South africa tel +27 11 844 2000 uganda: lm Ericsson International aB|Plot 24B, akii-Bua Road|Naka kampala|uganda tel +256 312 21 5000
britam
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ritish-american Investment Company limited is a leading financial services group in the country offering a wide range of Insurance and asset management services to individuals, small businesses, corporations and government entities. the group has a long-heritage, providing financial services since 1920. Companies within the group have been successful in providing investment products & services and are market leaders in their respective jurisdiction. the uganda operation was established in November, 2010. BRItam is committed to providing clients with great service and competent financial expertise to help them meet their financial goals.
Ernst Fonternel with representatives from Kenya Airways
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tel +256 417702600 / 414236815 email britam@britam.co.ug
www.britam.co.ug
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Providing ďŹ nancial solutions for you every step of the way...
Britam EA
Head office: Britam Centre, Mara/Ragati Road Junction, Upper hill Phone: +254-20-2833000/+254-0703094000 | Email: info@britam.co.ke | www.britam.co.ke KENYA | UGANDA | SOUTH SUDAN | RWANDA
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Britam EA
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MTN
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We are looking at building bigger and more advanced data centres for business to business usage�
A Successful Strategy With the continuing success story of MTN Uganda, the future looks increasingly bright for the company. In 2013, the company was voted the 3rd most trusted financial institution in Uganda, beating banks and financial companies. This is even more impressive when you consider that they are predominantly a mobile communications company. Fonternel is confident that over the coming year MTN Uganda will push forward with new and innovative ways to further its services: “We believe that the next twelve months will be very positive for MTN Uganda. We will continue to drive our products and services forward with customers telling us what they want our focus to be on. On the side of MTN Business, we are looking at building bigger and more advanced data centres for business to business usage, in short, we will continue to listen to our customers and ensure that MTN Uganda continues to be the service provider that delivers a bold new digital world for customers.�
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