By Juliet Hildah N.
According to Farhad Khan, Chief Commercial Officer, Yahsat, the African Development Bank projects that Uganda’s GDP will grow from 5.1% in 2017 to 5.8% in 2018. Among other factors, the government has highlighted the role of information communications technology (ICT ) as a key enabler for this trend toward growth.
As key stakeholders in the country continue to promote the use of ICT for economic and social growth, Uganda’s internet penetration has increased in the last two years from 31% in 2015 to 53.9% in the first quarter of 2017, according to the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC).
In East Africa, Uganda is second only to Kenya in terms of internet penetration. While this figure is significant, a section of Uganda’s population still lacks internet access. A critical issue is that many live in rural areas that are hard to reach through traditional methods.
“Satellite broadband can break through both the cost and planning barriers to these remote areas. Since it is not subject to the same physical and infrastructure limitations of cable-based systems, satellite broadband offers an alternative that is less costly to connect and requiring less complicated infrastructural planning. This could significantly improve connectivity in rural areas for individuals and businesses,