Airtel Uganda and the government have opened talks on measures to widen smartphone access and strengthen digital connectivity across the country.
A delegation from the telecom company, led by Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Soumendra Sahu, met Information and Communication Technology and National Guidance Minister Justine Kasule Lumumba.
The meeting focused on digital inclusion, innovation and access to technology-based services, according to the ministry.
The talks come amid concern over Uganda’s low smartphone ownership, which continues to limit internet use and access to digital services.
World Bank data shows that only 27 per cent of Ugandans owned smartphones in 2024.
Ms Lumumba asked Airtel Uganda to support efforts to make smartphones more affordable and accessible. However, the government did not announce specific measures that the company should take.
The two sides agreed that smartphones now play a key role in education, financial services, business and employment.
They also noted that wider access to internet-enabled devices would allow more Ugandans to take part in the growing digital economy.
Airtel Uganda pledged to support the government’s digital transformation programme, with a focus on expanding access to smartphones and mobile services.
Mr Sahu congratulated Ms Lumumba on her appointment and expressed the company’s readiness to work with the government to improve digital inclusion.
The Global System for Mobile Communications Association has urged telecom companies to address the high cost of smartphones through device financing schemes and affordable handsets.
It has also recommended partnerships between mobile operators, manufacturers and financing companies to make smartphones available to people with limited incomes.
Airtel Uganda has worked with phone manufacturers and financing firms to increase access to internet-enabled devices.
The company is also testing Starlink’s Direct-to-Cell satellite technology to extend mobile connectivity to areas with limited network coverage.
The trials target remote locations, including the Buvuma Islands and Murchison Falls National Park.
