Mobile money services are in the country and the numbers of people using them are increasing by the day. MTN Mobile money has registered over 800,000 users in its first year and they project the numbers at over 3m by 2012.

The population of those with bank accounts is just  half of those with mobile phones and this is the very reason banks have to seriously look into this aspect. It has already happened in Kenya where M-Pesa and Equity bank have partnered.

Those on M-Pesa can use Equity bank ATM cards and they have even upgraded to converting their M-Pesa accounts to savings account which can earn interest and access insurance services.

One of the reasons Mobile Money is picking up very fast is the issue of airtime. Shop attendants in the rural areas are the Mobile Money agents and these are the places these people are used to going to when buying airtime something they have been doing for years.

They are comfortable dealing with these shop attendants compared to banks with revolving doors and armed guards which they think is meant for the rich.
Related:
MTN Mobile Money Ceiling Increased
Pay for your DSTV with ZAP
Uganda Telecom Launches Mobile Money
Buy Airtime with MMM

Warid Telecom Uganda has cut its monthly internet rate for modem users from shs 85,000/- to shs 65,000/- per month. This is part of the price war introduced by Orange Uganda that is charging Shs 49,000/- per month.

Warid Telecom still has the cheapest dongle or modem going for 150,000/- compared to Orange's dongle that goes for 199,000/- The war will soon shift from the price to whoever offers the best service. When it comes to internet, it is not a question of price but who's link is fast and that's what counts and soon we will be able to see whose link is having its head above the waters.

More players continue to join the market like Foris Telecom, Broadband company to offer affordable internet services. The internet population is about 3mn users but with monthly rates as low as 49,000/-  we are likely to see these numbers go up tremendously in the coming years.

Related:

• UTL Wireless Internet
• Telecommunication Carriers