MAKERERE University Vice Chancellor, Prof. Venasius Baryamureeba, challenged telecommunications firms in Uganda to use their networks to spur development in rural Uganda.
Speaking at the launch of the MTN Mobile Internet 3G+ Experiential Week in Kampala last week, Prof. Baryamureeba said the telecommunications firms were best placed to create development in Uganda by supporting the health and education services particularly in remote areas.

MTN Uganda on Tuesday, 13th/July/2010 received an enhanced data network from Huawei Technologies to complement its existing infrastructure, aimed at increasing data connectivity in Uganda at lower prices.

At a ceremony held at the Serena Kampala International Conference Centre, MTN Uganda CEO Themba Khumalo and Huawei Technologies Managing Director Samuel Chen signed an acceptance agreement officially handing over the network over to MTN Uganda for use.

"MTN Investment in Network Technology to lower usage rates and offer high quality connectivity and speed."

The Uganda government wants Chinese information technology giant Huawei Technologies to undertake a forensic audit of its own works in laying the country’s main fibre-optic cable backbone under the National Backbone Initiative project’s first phase, and fix the glaring mistakes at the company’s cost.

According to The EastAfrican newspaper,learnt that following a directive from the Parliament Committee on ICT, the National Information Technology Authority — which governs the $106 million project —duly wrote to the Chinese firm a few weeks ago. Now Huawei faces the prospect of incurring huge losses after revising major parts of the cable.

LOCAL and international experts have agreed that Uganda is using an outdated and inadequate cable for its Internet backbone infrastructure. The G652 type has small bandwidth and will not be able to cater for Uganda’s current needs, let alone provide for future growth.

One expert compared it with guiding traffic from a 10-lane road onto a one-lane road, leading to huge traffic jams.

Experts also predict the system will frequently break down as a result of low reachable distance of the optic signal, which will require many booster stations.