Wim Vanhelleputte, Chief Executive Officer at MTN Uganda
MTN Uganda has blamed the poor network coverage on the refusal by Ugandans to give up their land for the installation of masts and the stringent process to acquire authorization from Government to install them.
The complaint was made by Wim Vanhelleputte, Chief Executive Officer at MTN Uganda while appearing before Parliament’s Information, Communication and Technology Committee to respond to concerns raised in the petition over the unsatisfactory and unfair service delivery by telecom providers.
“Today the average distance is 200m from each tower. One way to improve quality is build more towers. To get authorization to build more towers is becoming more challenging, there is NEMA, KCCA, Local Governments, Uganda Communications Commission. Everybody wants a perfect network but nobody wants a tower in their garden. So there is a challenge on how to deliver the quality,” Vanhelleputte said.
He cited an example in Gulu where MTN currently has 18 towers but for the Telecom to operate effectively, they require 27 towers, but for the whole of 2021, the company got authorization to build only one tower.
The Telecom operators called for sensitization among masses to educate them of myths that having masts near homes makes them prune to cancer and makes some of them sterile.
In the petition before the Committee, a section of Ugandans complained of poor network coverage characterized by dropped calls, exorbitant cost of internet and mobile money charges among the telecoms.
MTN Uganda however blamed the high cost of internet on the low uptake in Uganda, and proposed to have taxes on smart phones dropped so as to allow increased usage of internet data on their devices.
Vanhelleputte said that the usage of data in Uganda in general as compared to Kenya is low, saying that in Uganda 1 in 3 customers use data, while in Kenya, 2 in 3 people use internet and the low uptake in Uganda is blamed on the high taxes like Value Added Tax and Customs that drive the cost of smart phones.
“It isn’t the data that is expensive, it is the device that you need to consume your data. One thing we believe that could change the dynamics of the industry is look at the cost of smart phones. If someone wants to buy an iPhone at Shs5M, please tax them, they are rich people. They should be taxed,” he explained.
He added: “The rate by which we are selling data to our customers is driven by the cost we incur to deliver that data. As much as the price by the customer cost may be perceived high, it is only a reflection of what we are incurring.”
While commenting on the allegations of charging exorbitant fees on internet, Andrew Rugamba, Head Financial Services at MTN, blamed it on the geographical location of Uganda being landlocked and as such, data capacity is transmitted through other nations to get to the coastal sub-sea cables thus driving the cost high.
I have a plot in Luwero Town well fenced with a chain link fence which I can lease or hire out to MTN Uganda you can contact me through my email
I have land
We have poor network for MTN come see our location
I have land to sell contact me 0773895191
In oyam town with land , come over and pay me
So that we have stable network
Dear Mtn
The network for building mtn mast fell in my father’s land, the contractor to build the mast American tower company surveryors decided tp disappear with my father land documents and later the mast was shifted were it was not supposed to be built and we are poorly served
How I can I get u I have apeace of land that I can lease to MTN in mbarara district
I stayed in mayuge for four years but thr network for both calls and internet was really bad and i kept calling customer care service…but I have a friend who is willing to sell land for thr mast.. he’s in mayuge district,namalere village near magamaga.
How I can I get u I have apeace of land that I can lease to MTN in mbarara district
Even us from here kachabala, komuge sub county kachumbala county,aspaccialy kachabala theys no network please help us come over then we shall talk abDout land.
I have land to lease to MTN specifically in mbale. Network is very poor that am loosing interest in MTN, Please help us your dear customers
I might have a solution 0774272480
How can I get the email to MTN , I have land that I can lease to u
This MTN guys are just after maximum profits believing they are a sort of a monopoly they totally don’t care about things you will complain and all they will tell you is they have got no solution. It’s totally unfair to customers given the fact that they are the most profitable conglomerate in Uganda paying the most taxes and at the same time the most profit, it is clear that MTN is After profit and are not and have never been interested in giving you the best service. They are far behind in 4g infustracture just taking back the bulk if their profit to south Africa. It’s sad thata company we helped grow doesn’t care much about it’s clients, Airtel on there other hand is really trying.