The state of ICT in Uganda: A look at Digital Uganda Vision

Research ICT Africa published a report on The state of information and communication technology (ICT) in Uganda with special focus on Digital Uganda Vision which provides a framework to uphold the national Vision 2040 through building a digital society that is “… secure, sustainable, innovative, transformative … to create a positive social and economic impact through technology-based empowerment.” However, for Vision 2040 to achieve its desired outcomes, the report pinpoints some policy interventions and lack of government coordination that threaten the effective implementation of the vision. According to the report, these include a) regressive social networking and mobile money taxes which broaden the income and digital inequality, b) low internet and mobile penetration due to poor ICT infrastructure, poverty, and digital literacy, c) lack of affordability of data and devices for the majority of Ugandans, d) telecommunication market concentration particularly outside Urban areas where there is duopoly, e) demand stimulation to encourage people to shift from passive consumption to productive use of ICT, f) lack of cost-effective strategies to support mobile money for the unbacked, and g) lower cost access and use models to promote dynamic spectrum use in rural areas.