Telecom Sector Uganda

Uganda’s two largest mobile network operators, Airtel Uganda and MTN Uganda, are estimated to have lost between UGX 22.8 billion and UGX 24 billion in data revenues following the four-day nationwide internet shutdown.  The shutdown that was effected at 6 pm on Tuesday last week and lasted until late Saturday, highlights the rising financial cost of digital disruptions as data services become central to telecoms’ business models. The estimate is based on the operators’ most recent publicly available financial results and focuses strictly on data revenues, which are directly affected when internet access is restricted.  To avoid overstating the impact,…