Five surprisingly good internet deals in Uganda

Internet can make or break your productivity – depending on how easy your connection is, as regards cost and connection speeds.

To enable the search, we are sharing some surprising good deals in Uganda.

Uganda Telecom
Uganda Telecom is not a first choice for voice, but has some surprising good data deals if you are willing to compromise on speed.

The not-so-good news is that their speeds do not exceed 512mpbs; the good news is that they will cost you an average of Shs200,000.

A broadband ISDN connection, that transmits over the good old telephones which UTL was known for, will cost Shs120,000 for a fixed line and a subscription of Shs80,000. Speeds, their site says, are 128kbps.

We found out about UTL’s internet from a customer who said they pay Shs270,000 a month for true unlimited internet with speeds of 1mbps. That is fast enough for streaming, and just about anything else.

Tangerine
When the government required all telecommunications users early this year to register their simcards with their national identification number, the exercise revealed that there was a company called Tangerine. Even more surprising was that it was a pretty decent internet provider.

You can get an unlimited package with mifi at Shs90,000 monthly. The speeds are upto 2mbps. It has a usage allowance of 30GBs. Other options include 15GBs at Shs50,000 and 50GBs at Shs150,000.

Rokespots
Roke Telecom has been around for over 10 years. But until their expansion of Rokespots this year, the Bugolobi-based company was not very well known. They provided internet to small and medium sized companies through fibre optic cables.

And then came Google’s Project Link in 2013. Kampala was the first test site for the project, which built more than 700 kilometers of fibre across the city. This made it easier for the company, which was now able to use the network to establish signal points, referred to as Rokespots.

For a full day’s internet at a Rokespot, you pay Shs 1000. You can also buy a 30day voucher for Shs 18,000. Compared to the early days of internet cafes where we spent Shs500 for 20 minutes, this is an amazing rate. One downside is their presence around the city is spotty and not always where the company claims to be, as a recent review of the hotspots in Kampala shows.

MTN Unlimited
MTN Group’s strategy for the next few years is going to focus on data growth, its new CEO has said. It is still largely a voice business with only 70million data customers out of 230million customers.

You can get MTN 4G in Kampala, and in other major cities like Kabale, Fort Portal, Kasese, Gulu, Moroto, Arua, Lira, Masaka, Mbarara, Mbale, Entebbe, Mukono and Jinja. Where there is no 4G, the service will switch to 3G.

You can get a basic unlimited internet plan at Shs179,000. And if you have a really tight budget, you can opt for the unlimited night plan for Shs99,000 which is valid for 30 days, from midnight to 6am.

MTN’s unlimited internet plans are very similar to Vodafone’s when you check closely; the advantage is that it has a countrywide network.

Africell
When it was still known as Orange, it was mostly known for its internet provision. Beirut-based Africell Group’s acquisition of the company in 2014 coincided with Vodafone’s entry into the Uganda market, and Airtel and MTN Uganda’s focus on data provision.

Many people might have switched out their data providers but don’t rush to throw out that Africell modem. Africell network is still one of the most reliable ones away from the city. Their 4G is available in Kampala, Entebbe, Jinja and Gulu, but you can get decent 3G connection in areas like Kasese and Mbale.

It is pricier than the others, with a monthly unlimited plan costing Shs 299,000.

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