Young surfers drive the continental internet market
The cut-throat competition has propelled Uganda’s biggest telecom operators to revise monthly data bundles downwards, Habari Daily can categorically disclose.
Airtel Uganda, one of the big boys in the market has increased data allocations on several packages as it seeks to compete more aggressively for mobile internet users.
The changes come shortly after rival MTN Uganda adjusted its own data offers, setting the stage for an increasingly competitive battle between the country’s two largest telecommunications companies over customers who rely on mobile internet for business, communication, education and entertainment.
Under Airtel’s revised monthly packages, customers can now purchase 2GB for Shs6,500, 4GB for Shs10,000, 25GB for Shs30,000, 45GB for Shs50,000, 100GB for Shs100,000 and 150GB for Shs150,000.
The company has also introduced a 30GB monthly bundle costing Shs26,000, although the package comes with a daily usage restriction. Customers can use a maximum of 1GB per day for 30 days.
All the revised bundles have a validity period of 30 days, giving customers access to internet services throughout the month.
Customers can purchase the bundles through the MyAirtel application or by dialling 1002*2#.
The revisions follow similar changes introduced by MTN Uganda in August, as the two operators increasingly align their prices on several popular data packages.
MTN currently offers 2GB at Shs6,500, 4GB at Shs10,000, 20GB at Shs26,000, 45GB at Shs50,000, 100GB at Shs100,000 and 200GB at Shs170,000.
Airtel’s new structure therefore places the two companies on identical prices for several key packages.
Both operators charge Shs6,500 for 2GB, Shs10,000 for 4GB, Shs50,000 for 45GB and Shs100,000 for 100GB.
At the Shs26,000 price point, however, Airtel provides 30GB compared with MTN’s 20GB, giving customers a higher headline data allocation. Airtel’s offer is subject to the 1GB-per-day limit, meaning customers cannot consume the entire 30GB at once.
At the higher end of the market, Airtel provides 150GB for Shs150,000, while MTN offers 200GB for Shs170,000.
The adjustments indicate how telecom operators are using pricing and larger data allocations to retain existing subscribers and attract users from competing networks.
The competition comes at a time when mobile internet has become an increasingly important part of everyday economic and social activity in Uganda.
Small businesses use mobile data to communicate with customers, market products and process transactions, while students and other learners increasingly depend on internet-enabled devices to access educational material.
Mobile internet is also central to social media, video streaming, digital payments and other forms of online entertainment.
As more Ugandans depend on mobile connectivity, telecom operators face pressure to offer larger data volumes while keeping prices within reach of consumers.
The matching prices on several Airtel and MTN packages suggest that neither operator is willing to leave popular segments of the mobile-data market uncontested.
For consumers, the competition provides more options, but the actual value of each package will depend not only on the amount of data offered but also on conditions such as daily usage limits and validity periods.
Airtel’s latest revision consequently marks another step in the continuing battle for Uganda’s mobile internet market, with the operator seeking to match or exceed rival offers while encouraging customers to commit to monthly data packages.
