Data cost to drop - government

Kampala. In the next three months, the Cabinet would have approved a policy that will ultimately slash the cost of data to unimaginable levels, the ICT minister, Mr Frank Tumwebaze, has said.
Once the broadband policy is endorsed, Mr Tumwebaze, said it will pave way for affordable and reliable data, with consumers, who are always on the receiving end, being the ultimate winners.

Speaking yesterday on the side line of the 19th Africa Telecommunications Union Council of Administration meeting in Kampala, Mr Tumwebaze said the policy will redefine the role of industry operators, allowing them to concentrate on core mandate - providing efficient voice and data services.

“In the next three months Cabinet would have approved a broadband policy. It will in many ways solve the issue around the cost and availability of data,” he said, adding that the policy will also ensure that operators cover all part of the country.

The minister also said that government will invest in all available connectivity infrastructure, including the fibre optics, terrestrial microwave and satellite transmissions.
However, it remains unclear how the policy will work alongside President Museveni’s proposal to tax social media users, who he said waste so much time in lugambo (gossip).

In his explanation about the proposed tax, Mr Tumwebaze said the President meant that taxes on WhatsApp and other social media platforms will be imposed on imported content.

The vision for Uganda’s Broadband Strategy is to transform to a middle income economy driven by affordable and high quality broadband connectivity.
The key targets for the first five years (2016-2020) of strategy include: Minimum broadband speeds of 3 Mbps by 2020, broadband access penetration of 50 per cent and 100 per cent for rural and urban areas by 2020.

This is in addition to reducing the cost per Mbps of broadband in relation to average income to 10 per cent by 2020, a target the government seems to be chasing.
The government is also pondering whether to take over the development of data and telecommunication infrastructures in the country from the private players and render it a public good.

In an interview, the Uganda Communication Commission director for communication, Mr Fred Otunnu, he said they will implement the Cabinet directives once it is approved.
“We will do what we are supposed to do—enforcement. This is because we have been part of consultation process and we submitted our views,” he said.

While launching the 19th Africa Telecommunications Union Council of Administration meeting, Mr Tumwebaze said the meeting will discuss issues that are pertinent to the Africa and Uganda in as far strengthening its digital footprint in the regional and global space is concerned.

“This meeting provides an opportunity for African governments, continental organizations and industry players to move the global ICT development agenda forward,” he said, adding “Our greatest responsibility is to embrace a new spirit of togetherness in this digital era.” Uganda’s ICT Policy and Regulatory environment, he said, is geared towards encouraging investment, protecting the interests of consumers and is being re-aligned to respond to industry demands.

Contradiction
Mr Tumwebaze’s pronouncement is a shift away from President Museveni’s proposal, in which he castigated the Ministry of Finance and Uganda Revenue Authority for failing to identify tax sources key among them social media users, especially WhatsApp and Facebook among others. The President, in a March 13 letter, said that gossip must have a cost implication through paying taxes, which would fetch government more than Shs400 billion.

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