Private sector should lead 5G technology-UCC

By Christopher Bendana

Entebbe, Uganda

Private sector should lead 5G technology-UCC

The Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) has urged the private sector to lead innovations in 4G technology. The Ministry of ICT says the government will remain committed to creating a conductive, legal and regulatory framework to allow the private sector to roll out the latest technologies in Information Communication and Technology (ICT) sector.

Eng. Godfrey Mutabazi, UCC executive director says it is the private sector that can innovate and drive innovations in 4G technology.

“It is the private sector to lead the 5G technology. Use your training to write applications,” he told journalists at the sidelines of a meeting of African telecom experts in Entebbe early this week.

The meeting, the Second Regional Preparatory Meeting for World Telecommunications Standards Assembly (WTSA) brought in telecommunications experts from Africa to forge a common position on standards.

It is this position they will submit as a block to the WTSA-20 due in India.

“Africa will go with one voice, he added.

The first regional preparatory meeting took place in Rabat, Morocco in March.

Vincent Waiswa Bagiire, the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) who represented Frank Tumwebaza, the minister said the government will ensure the private sector invests in the necessary technology

Eng. Bako Wakil, the director, Technical Standards and Network Integrity at the Nigerian Communications Commission said the

“It is a tough negotiation. It is easy when we go as a community,” he said.

However, the African delegates said there was still more work to do to match the standards in the developed world. They asked the International Telecommunication Union to support technical training and infrastructure development.

Bagiire, said the economy can only function if the country is at par with technology.

While the country looks at harnessing 5G technology, the penetration of 4G especially among the telecom is still low. There is the issue of infrastructure and affordability of the gadgets comparable with the technology.

MTN Uganda on its website says its 4G service is functionally in many of Uganda’s major towns including Mbarara, Gulu, Kasese, Arua, and Kabale. It says if the LTE of 4G icons appears on the signal bar on your gadget, then you are already there.

On its website Airtel Uganda reveals that much of the country has access to its 4G service. It has also been sending messages to its subscribers to visit their offices to update their gadgets.