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Government, MTN sign rural service connection agreement
THE government and MTN Uganda have signed a service and licence agreement of extending communication services to rural areas under the Universal Access project.
This project will help to improve communication services to the rural areas in the country through installing Information Communication Technology (ICT).
WORKING: Mr Nasasira
The agreement was signed on December 16, at the ministry of Works officers. Works, Transport and Communication Minister John Nasasira, said since the launch of the Rural Communication Development Fund (RCDF) programme in 2003, a substantial number of rural-based citizens now have access to basic ICT services.
"The number of telephone subscribers has increased from 28,000 to 1.5 million in the past 20 years and over 50 ICT training centres and Internet cafes have been setup all over the country," Nasasira said.
The project will be implemented with $5 million grant extended to the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) in 2001 by the World Bank.
This grant is under the ICT component of the Energy for Rural Transformation project, which aims to extend telephone network to 154 sub-counties declared as underserved by the major operators.
Nasasira said the project would make a systematic revolution in Uganda's communication by ensuring that basic communication services of acceptable quality are accessible, affordable and at reasonable distances.
According to the project rollout, Internet Points of Presence (Internet PoPs) in 32 districts and Telecentres in 20 selected districts will be established.
The MTN Chief Executive Officer, Mr Noel Meier, commended UCC for conducting a smooth and transparent bidding process where five firms applied, three (MTN, Uganda Telecom and Celtel Uganda) where short listed and MTN won.
"We are proud to be associated with this project. This Universal Access project has come at the same time when MTN is finalising the implementation of yet another RCDF project of implementing Internet PoPs in 22 districts," he said.
He said MTN Uganda will fulfill its commitment of finishing the project implementation within the contracted timeframe from July 2005 to June 2006 and it will carry out necessary contribution and developing infrastructure that will be along the project.
Meier added that communication centers for public access services in over 1,000 parishes would be installed to support social, economic and political development of rural areas. Nasasira urged investors to invest in ICT infrastructure.
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