After almost 2 years in the cold since 21st October 2018, MTN Uganda has today received its 2nd National Telecommunications Operator from the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC).
Having met all conditions required to renew its license on June 13th, MTN Uganda’s new license is set to run for 12 years and took effect on 1st July 2020.
In a press conference hosted by the UCC, the commission handed over the new 12-year license, which is the 2nd of its kind to MTN since it’s initial launch date in October 1998 with a 20-year license that expired on 21st October 2018.
The new MTN Uganda National license has been acquired at a fixed fee of UGX 100 million (Approx UGX 371.5billion) paid in full by the telco. Having delayed to secure the license since 2018, MTN’s CEO Mr. Wim Vanhelluptte shared his Joy while receiving the new Operator License as he Tweeted:
“I am glad to inform you that our second National Operator License has been signed and MTN can continue operating in Uganda. We are happy and remain committed to our vision of delivering a bold digital life to all our customers through diligent innovations and shall continue to provide high-quality voice, data and mobile money services connecting Ugandans across all the 135 districts of Uganda,”
Wim Vanhelleputte – CEO, MTN Uganda
As a strict license additive, UCC earlier this year issued a directive requiring all telcos to list on the Uganda stock exchange market effective with new licenses from the commission.
However, neither MTN nor UCC inked whether the telco after receiving its license will be listing 20% of its shares on the Uganda Securities Exchange (USE) market as previously required.
For now, MTN Uganda is a fully licensed National Telecommunications operator after acquiring its 2nd license since its initial operations in 1998. Predictively, we expect the telco to continue disrupting the voice and data offers industry as it has always done.
Currently, the telco is rewarding customers with free cash to survive in the current COVID19 pandemic through its revamped Momo Nyabo Campaign. Likely, the telco continues to reign as the biggest provider with over 13million registered customers countrywide.