Launched 20 years ago, MTN Uganda’s expo is meant to celebrate the past and inspire the future. Over the last 20 years, MTN has connected millions of Ugandans. Frank Tumwebaze, the ICT Minister officially opened the expo at the Kololo Independence Grounds last week.
He highlighted the role MTN Uganda had played over the last 20 years, noting that the impact to society had been positive. “I would like to congratulate MTN Uganda for making 20 years in Uganda by facilitating communication and fostering innovation. 20 years ago, the licensing regime in the sector focused on facilitating the entry of new players in the market. 20 years later, the push is to now have reliability and improved quality of service.
“For the last two years, we have discussed with MTN on how to enable better growth in the sector and we hope that the results will start to show,” Tumwebaze said at the launch.
In October 1998, MTN Uganda was launched when a mobile phone call connecting President Museveni in Uganda and President Nelson Mandela in South Africa was successful.
“However, as we celebrate the past, the future is not going to be waiting for us. We must be ready to inspire the future because the future of the industry continues to evolve. This expo is an indication of what we would like to achieve. MTN Uganda will have two strategic areas of growth in the next 10 years,” said Wim Vanhelleputte, CEO MTN Uganda.
The expo will celebrate history with a museum to show the journey of where the MTN brand (in Uganda) has come from, but will also focus on the future with a display and test drive of the 5G-powered, driverless car being tested by the MTN Group.
Visitors to the expo will also get a feel of what a “connected or smart home” offers; and access to massive smartphone discounts. Expect to see a connected smart cow and get to see how to manage a cattle herd in the future.
There will be engagement with robotics and spectacular 3D mapping and laser show displays. Other attractions include a circus show and performances from some of Uganda’s big-name artistes, a fireworks display and a special production from renowned Uganda playwright Alex Mukulu, among others.
According to Vanhelleputte, telecoms of the future are going to enable the transformation of several sectors in the economy beyond just providing voice calls.
“If we give an example of the connected cow - farmers will in the future be able to monitor the health of their livestock using just a mobile phone. This would mean that the telecom is enabling the modernisation of agriculture,” he added.
In 2019, between January and March, the expos will go regional and will travel to towns in the country, including Entebbe, Jinja, Mbale, Gulu, Arua, Mubende, Hoima, Masaka, Fort Portal, and Mbarara. Those regional expos also indicate MTN Uganda’s ability to connect Ugandans beyond just the capital city.
