By Mark Kawalya
Airtel Uganda has moved into the fibre network space by offering Fiber To The Home (FTTH), a product which will connect homes to high speed internet that will facilitate demanding activities like demanding online gaming, multi device streaming, and heavy file downloads.
BellWether Apartments in Kyanja were the first recipients of the service that was unveiled in December 2022.
“This service is designed for all homes and businesses with multiple internet needs across multiple devices. Through a reliable fibre cable connection, a customer will be able to: stream video and music faster; enjoy superfast video downloading; share the connection across his or her many devices in the home; and connect and monitor CCTV security systems. Businesses using this will be able to share, collaborate, and work on very large projects and hold big and long online conferences with partners from across the world. They will also have capabilities for streaming videos,” said Henry Njoroge, the Marketing Director at Airtel Uganda.
Airtel Uganda is investing in critical physical and digital infrastructure to support the ever-increasing communication needs of the Kampala population.
“To meet our obligations under SDG 9, which aims to grow internet access, Airtel is laying more fiber, upgrading sites, and innovating solutions ahead of the needs of our customers.” Mr. Njoroge went on to say Allan Ssemakula, Airtel’s, Enterprise Business Director, says fibre internet at home will cost as follows.
Package One (10mbps) costing Shs170,000 a month.
Package Two (30mbps) costing Shs250,000 a month.
Package Three (50mbps) costing Shs350,000 a month.
All these are unlimited packages that do not have a data use cap, although their validity is structured for one month.
“These plans are designed to cater to small and medium businesses, start-up entrepreneurs, and work-from-home users depending on their budget,” Ssemakula said.
The business director mentioned that Airtel had already rolled out fibre networks in more than 45 apartment complexes in Kampala and is making preparations to extend the service to other areas such as Mukono, Jinja, Mbarara, Entebbe, and other areas of the country. Semakula also underscored the benefits of the fibre network, deeming it a more stable means of staying online.
Standard internet may be fast and reliable outside, but when you get into a building, the network reception deteriorates due to the low penetration power of the signals through concrete.
