By Michael Kawesa Sekadde, MTN GM HR. 

It is overwhelming how much sad news is flying over different social media platforms, once a home of laughter and comedic memes. The second wave of the virus has taken a toll on everyone forcing the country back to lockdown in a bid to mitigate spread of the virus.

Whereas lockdown might block out the virus, it has affected people mentally. A report by Uganda Bureau of Statistics indicates that 5 per cent of the respondents were clinically depressed. The incidence was found majorly in elderly respondents around 65 years of age and above. A significant number of respondents between the age of 44 and 54 years were also found to be clinically depressed on account of their employment status and negative changes in business incomes.

Centers for disease control and prevention(CDC) has also said that public health measures such as social distancing and lockdown, while necessary to reduce the spread of the virus, have led to isolation and loneliness which cause stress and anxiety.

The pandemic is generally affecting people’s emotional wellbeing, which is described as the ability to successfully handle life’s stresses and adapt to change and difficult times. Experience has taught me that staff emotional well-being should be of great concern to organisations. It is important to understand the challenges staff are facing. Overwhelming challenges limit the ability of staff to focus and handle their responsibilities and tasks while at the job whether they are working from home or office. Consequently, staff will fail to deliver on their duties or even those who do deliver will submit substandard work which affects productivity of the company or business.

However, working from home puts emotional wellbeing of staff at more risk of being ignored especially if the HR professional is strictly work oriented.

At MTN, the first thing we did to ensure good staff mental health was assure them of their job security. This curb the fear and uncertainty of the staff especially during such a time when economic conditions were harsh and loss of jobs was skyrocketing.

You can also create a mental wellbeing program to insulate staff from covid-19 related mental health conditions. Ensure that the program is personalized to individuals as each person could be facing different challenges of their own. Avoid piling all of them together. It is high time companies realize mental health conditions are a real challenge and create mental health policy, which will house the business’ direction towards mental wealth at the workplace.

At MTN, we opted to include counselling services as part of the medical insurance scheme, which enables staff to get expert advice.

When in apprehension to speak to a professional, we also encourage open communication with family and friends.

Frequent communication between HR and staff is also important in supporting staff mental health and well-being. Make it a point to make a phone call and check in on the state of your staff.  During online work meetings, you can take some few minutes to have personal banter to eliminate the feeling of loneliness.

During the second wave, staff are more afraid of contracting the virus, which also causes stress and anxiety.HR professionals need to guarantee a healthy and safe working environment for those staff that continue working from office during lockdown to limit worries of contracting the virus.

Strive to have staff buy into the measures and changes in work environment as it plays a key role in unification as a company in the fight against the virus. Owing to the buy-in, MTN instituted an emergency fund with monies contributed by staff to cater for needs or daily stipend to any employee affected by covid-19. This eliminates fear of hefty bills in case of contraction of the virus.

While undertaking these measures, it is important to carry out a post-mortem and evaluate their effectiveness. This can be done through quick and periodic surveys with the staff. HR professionals ought to engage the staff on a periodic basis to ascertain their mental health. Share your experience with the staff which will make you more relatable and they will be more willing to openly reveal their state of mind.

By Dorcas Muhwezi, MTN General Manager Customer Experience

We are back to lockdown and just like we saw in the first wave, businesses are now operating online.  One thing covid has taught us, is that the internet is no longer a nice to have or a luxury. The Internet is a necessity. The internet is the place where customers window shop, purchase and air out views on products and services offered by companies. Make sure you have online presence.

Unlike the earlier days where customers sneakily wrote their views on paper and dropped them into suggestion boxes hoping that no one would recognize their handwriting, today, customers take to social media to publicly appreciate and also vent their frustration.

Emergence of technology and social media has made the role of customer experience, even more profound today. Customer experience is the perception that customers have based on their interaction with your business or product. Today, customers are more empowered. They know what they want and will not compromise. In part, it is because they have a plethora of options to choose from when it comes to product and service providers.

To keep your head above water in the sea of businesses, entrepreneurs must embrace strategies such as enhancing customer experience especially via social media as the country strives to mitigate the spread of the virus during lockdown.

Easy accessibility of services is a good place to start. Despite limitation of movement, you need to ensure that there is uninterrupted service delivery especially if you are among the businesses allowed to operate during this period.

Aware of the vitality of easy accessibility of services to customers, using digital tools, MTN created the MyMTN app which among other things houses the telecom’s different services under one roof.  One can buy all MTN Products, get access to Mobile Money statements and even get help or log a complaint using the MyMTN App. This reduces the amount of time a customer spends while trying to use MTN’s services.

In addition, understanding how to use the new innovations or products is very critical to improving a customer’s experience. I advise that you create short videos that you can run on social media, showing customers how to use a new product or service. This helps to guide customers to understand and acquaint themselves with the workings of the new product, which will smoothen their experience when they get to use it.

In light of the harsh economic times occasioned by covid-19, I am alive to the fact that many businesses are financially constrained and might not be able to do the above. But there are also ways of enhancing customers’ experience at a cheap cost to your business.

Personalizing customers’ experience is one of them. Wishing your seasoned customers a happy birthday is a sign that you value them. Make their milestones your milestones, recognize and celebrate with them even if virtually.

I am sure you all have received a birthday message from MTN once. This is a way of showing our customers that we care. This is a very key customer experience enhancement tool especially during this period; awash with sad news dampening moods of many.

Once only a chatting vessel, social media has morphed over time to become an official communication channel for businesses which breeds loyalty and efficiency.

It is important to engage with customers online by curating content specific to particular audiences. This can draw increased loyalty from them towards your product. This keeps you relevant. For instance, at MTN, a post about MTN Pulse or ayoba, the MTN version of WhatsApp, will be written in the lingo used by the youth because they are predominantly youth targeted services.

Engaging with customers through liking or commenting on their post is also another way of enhancing customer experience as it strengthens the relationship and builds a strong attachment to the brand.

Arguably the most important aspect of social media is customer feedback. Whether positive or negative, feedback provides an understanding of the customers’ thoughts on the business’ products and services, “the good, the bad and the ugly”. Negative feedback is a contentious subject but at MTN, we believe a complaining customer is an alive customer. Work with them! Make the best out of bad reviews by addressing them while capitalizing and strengthening your preferred qualities.

The world today is fast paced so there is an expectation from customers for an immediate response and handling complaints in under 24 hours. At MTN, we have a team dedicated to social media to provide quick responses to customers and escalate concerns to responsible parties in the company.

It also goes without saying that as a business, ensure you have trained your staff who interface with customers via social media. The way a business responds to customers via social media speaks to the value it attaches to them. Plus, when on social media, assume all eyes are on you because with only a click of a button, a conversation can become an issue of national interest. Avoid flaring of tempers and strive for professionalism.

Remember, customer experience management will save your business money in reduced marketing costs. Make your customers your marketers.

 

Harunah Damba lived an ordinary life until the fateful year of 2015.  Falling ill for about three years, the young man slowly started to lose his hearing ability. Ear by ear, the sound disappeared. The silence was so loud. At only 22 years, Damba became deaf.

“In 2015, I suffered an illness and developed difficulty in hearing. The problem started with my left ear and later shifted to my right ear, and soon silence etched in both my ears,” he narrates.

After several failed attempts by medical doctors to treat his illness, an old lady convinced Damba’s parents to take him home. She advised that they use herbal medicine which they also later learnt was useless.

Faced with the new reality that he would be deaf, Damba did not take it so well. It was no easy feat.

“I didn’t know any bit of sign language and neither did my parents nor relatives. I used to live in seclusion because it was difficult, almost impossible for me to engage in any conversation. While in such a situation, I could see that most of my friends with similar impairment had a lot on their mind, asking questions like; would we ever get a decent living and or good employment?” he recounts.

Corridor talk from the Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) fraternity illuminated him to the discrimination that would befall him in the employment market.

“I knew the future was going to be hard without any form of self-employment,” he says. It was at that moment that Damba made the decision to become an entrepreneur.

Damba is an entrepreneur

With the help of his dad, Damba has made strides in his ambitions.

At only 27 years, in a country reeling with youth unemployment, Damba owns a garden, sugarcane plantation and a poultry house of both local and exotic birds. The young lad also leased land for a brickmaking project.

He earns enough from his businesses to meet his needs.

Damba is also a beacon amongst the PWD fraternity in Bweyogerere where he is the chairperson-elect of PWDs at the parish and founder of United Persons with Disabilities (UPWDs), a disabled peoples’ organization in Bweyogerere parish.

“The organization has transformed into a social impact body tackling youth unemployment and increasing empowerment. We are still in the budding stage and using our own resources to set an example of what we really committed to. Currently, we are running two projects for the benefit of PWDs; bead making and poultry, and we are devising means of investing in mushroom growing,” he reveals.

Damba qualifies as a jack of all traits having volunteered at Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI) as a junior scientist before the covid-19 outbreak.

“I am thrilling at the epitome of my efforts. At the moment, I am looking at ways to expand my businesses and also integrate modern technologies,” he revels in his success.

MTN Youth skilling program

It was in his efforts to expand his business and hone skills in digital technology and youth social entrepreneurship that Damba landed on the MTN youth skilling program which he has since learnt extensively from.

“I am greatly enthralled to discover how ICT and entrepreneurship is bridging the rampant unemployment gap, and making PWDs resourceful and valuable. I commend the approach being used to train the next generation of young leaders which involves a paid training to acquire an internationally recognized International Certificate of digital literacy (ICDL) with cutting-edge modules tailored to our problems, business training, networking and mentorship,” he says.

Bearing Haruna’s hearing impairment in mind, the youth skilling program which was conducted online, ensured he was included through utilizing zoom online services which carried captions for interpretation.

“The zoom app has inclusive features like automatic captioning and a chat window. So I utilized them to always ask whenever I had not understood the concept and they were indeed mindful of the fact that the program includes people like me. We also heard google classroom and this is where most of the content was posted from class materials to reference content,” he explains.

He goes on to add; “I see this opportunity as an optimal catalyst for me to launch a career in ICT and youth social entrepreneurship to the level where I can create economic and employment opportunities for not only myself but also a wider range of individuals.”

Challenges

In spite of this success, it has not been a rosy journey for the young gentleman from Namanve. His hearing impairment has cost him friends and shone upon him a judgmental light in society.

“Most of my friends do not know sign language and many could not spare time to write while communicating to me. Many of them felt offended when I retorted because of my disability that I couldn’t hear them and that they please write down what they are saying. Also, many still have the false perception against us, the disabled. They see our disability more than our abilities. They are quick to judge what I can and can’t do because of my disability, yet I am more than what they perceive me to be,” he notes.

Shaking off the grim, Damba believes the future is bright.

He is certain that he is now an asset to drive his association; UPWDs, from a grass root level to an internationally recognized institution, having attained knowledge and skills in resource mobilization, business setup and management along with soft skills: networking, collaboration, presentation among others.

In five years, Damba envisions himself as a successful entrepreneur.

The ‘One More Push’ Campaign is aimed at complementing the ‘Adapted Africa Joint Continental Strategy for COVID-19 Pandemic’ of the African Union

The campaign is a motivational call across the region to inspire the masses to keep up the fight against covid 19 through strict adherence to the COVID-19 SOPs as well as vaccination to foster herd immunity.

MTN Uganda has today rolled out yet another campaign dubbed ‘One More Push” with the aim of strengthening masses in the fight against the deadly COVID-19. The “One More Push” campaign is spearheaded by The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, (Africa CDC) and pan-African operator MTN Group. The joint campaign is meant to encourage people across the continent to not give up in the fight against COVID-19 and to continue to wear their masks, wash their hands and practice social distancing as well as getting vaccinated against the deadly virus.

Uganda, like many countries across the continent, has been hit with a more ravaging wave of the virus that has seen the country register more deaths than before. Moreover, this is happening at a time when masses suffer from increased apathy, mask fatigue, vaccine myths and misinformation, and overall concern about vaccine efficacy and safety. This calls for renewed effort and zeal in deliberately fighting the spread of the disease. Therefore, the ‘One More Push’ campaign has been launched to inspire and motivate the masses to give the fight against COVI-19, one more push.

Commenting about the new wave and the One More Push campaign, Dr. John Nkengasong the Africa CDC Director said that; “With third and fourth waves of COVID-19 sweeping across parts of Africa, we cannot overstate the importance of everyone doing their best right now to keep the virus at bay. This campaign aims to encourage people to keep practicing the preventative measures we know can limit the spread of COVID-19.”

‘One More Push’ is a renewed drive to encourage the public not to give up now. It asks that all of us keep our masks on, wash or sanitize our hands, and maintain a physical distance from each other until it is safe to no longer do so. In this way, we will be able to get back to the ‘old normal’ sooner rather than later.

Wim Vanhelleputte, the MTN Uganda CEO noted that; “The ‘One More Push’ campaign is about encouraging the people of Uganda and Africa to remain vigilant in fighting COVID-19, at a time when we are experiencing new waves of infections.

“Uganda is currently in the middle of the second wave of this pandemic which has been more detrimental than the first wave. In these times, we all ought to double our efforts to safeguard ourselves and loved ones against the deadly disease.” Mr. Vanhelleputte said.

“As we continue with the distribution of vaccines across the continent, we all need to keep focused on overcoming COVID-19. We implore everyone to keep up the fight. Let’s all give it one more push.” said Dr. Nkengasong.

The awareness campaign is an extension of the African Union’s ‘Adapted Africa Joint Continental Strategy for COVID-19 Pandemic’ endorsed by Africa’s Health Ministers and aligned to the ‘Prevent, Monitor and Treat’ approach. It is also an extension of the partnership between the Africa CDC and MTN, which includes the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines to health workers across the continent through the Group’s US$25 million donations.

A key part of the campaign is onemorepushafrica.com, a digital content hub of credible and authoritative third-party content covering all things related to COVID-19. This includes facts about getting vaccinated, advice from leading healthcare bodies and medical experts, and important information from the Africa CDC.

Visit onemorepushafrica.com for trustworthy content around vaccinations and the virus and to let us know what you are keeping your mask up for. Follow the #OneMorePushAfrica conversation on social media.

MTN Uganda has been instrumental in the fight against COVID-19 since the onset of the virus, early last year. The most outstanding among its series of interventions is last year’s ‘Wear it for me’ campaign that urged the masses to practice mask-wearing alongside the other standard operating procedures as a way to prevent the spread of the lethal COVID-19 virus.

For close to two years, Doreen Ataro lived with a bent leg painted with burn bruises from a fire accident.

At only one and a half years of age, the young girl fell in a pool of fire where she was playing and sustained injuries to her left leg.

As the father Denis Oroto narrates, Ataro’s accident caused his daughter so much pain.

“Her left leg was burnt by the fire causing it to curve to a certain extent. She couldn’t move or shower herself. The mother had to feed and shower her,” he recounts.

But it was not only the physical turmoil that foiled the family. Ataro’s accident also took a toll on the father’s finances.

Oroto has spent nearly Ushs500,000 in an effort to treat the daughter and have her leg restored to normal.

However, his effort was all in vain as the health centres in Kaberamaido were unable to treat Ataro despite multiple trials.

It was not until Pius Ekiro, a community mobiliser in the town, notified Oroto of a hospital in Entebbe that could treat his daughter and the transport was catered for.

“Pius Ekiro told me about Corsu and told me they were also providing transport to and from the hospital in Entebbe,” he says.

On arrival, the young girl was given medical care at no cost.

Around the same time at the same hospital in Entebbe was a young Vivian Achola wrapped in the arms of her uncle, 26 year old Alex Owume.

Unlike Ataro, Achola could walk albeit with a limitation. Achola had had rickets for all her life.

The young orphaned girl who spent the majority of the  time living with her grandfather was at the hospital to correct the disability.

Her surgery was also to be done for free.

Doreen Ataro and Vivian Achola were one of the lucky beneficiaries under the MTN Uganda partnership with Corsu rehabilitation hospital.

During the one year partnership, MTN Uganda sponsored corrective surgery for over 80 children and youth worth about Ushs 184million.

Wim Vanhelleputte, the MTN Uganda chief executive officer says “MTN prides itself in improving the lives of Ugandans. Children and youth are the bedrock of society since they not only bring joy to our lives but also make up a big fraction of the productive economy.”

According to Oroto, his daughter now walks, runs and even plays.

“Before bringing her to Corsu hospital, she couldn’t walk. But now, Ataro can run and play. In fact, now the mother doesn’t need to take care of her like before,” he testifies.

Denis Oroto who practices agriculture to make ends meet says that the wife, Sarah Aponye can now help him at the farm since she is no longer preoccupied with taking care of their daughter.

“Now the mother comes to dig and help me at the farm because Ataro stays playing with her friends,” he says.

Meanwhile, Achola’s uncle,Owume, a resident of Aduku Town in Kwania district has now shifted concern from his ten year old niece’s health to her education as the former is now a problem of the past.

“She is now walking very well. She is now okay and we want her to start school so we are searching for funds to take her to school,” he notes.

He appreciated MTN for its effort in ensuring his niece’s life was back to normal.

Established in 2009, CoRSU is a private, non-profit, non-governmental organization in Uganda mandated to mitigate disability and provide rehabilitative services.

It’s been over a year since the emergence of covid-19 in Uganda which tested the fortitude of many of the country’s structures, the health sector the most.

Around the steep slopes and hills of Kabale district, news of the virus outbreak broke at Kabale regional referral hospital.

According to ministry of health, Kabale Regional Referral Hospital is a 280 bed hospital located in Kabale Municipality in Southwestern Uganda, approximately 426 Kilometers from Kampala.

The hospital serves a population of about 2 million people in the districts of Kabale, Kisoro, Rukungiri, Kanungu and some parts of Ntungamo as well as people from neighboring countries of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

But for two weeks, the very important and strategic referral hospital was closed off to other patients due to the news of the covid-19 outbreak at the facility.

Patients with other diseases were forced to look for alternatives in the town for survival.

A few kilometres away from the referral hospital sits Kamukira health centre IV, a once incomplete deserted building blossomed into a storied building canopied by red iron sheets.

It was in Kamukira health centre IV that the stranded patients found solace. Kamukira health center IV serves a catchment population of 8,778 but receives about 4000 patients both in and outpatients on a monthly basis.

The hospital according to the facility in charge had to step up and take up majority of the patients suffering from other diseases which it handled successfully thanks to its structure and facilities.

Inpatient admissions

The story would have been different back in 2016 when Kamukira did not have the ability to admit patients, with the exception of the maternity ward.

Most in-patients used to be referred to other facilities.

“Patients used to fear since the facility did not have the capacity to admit,” Paddy Mwesigye, the facility in-charge narrated.

A new dawn

However, in 2019, MTN through the MTN Foundation funded the completion of outstanding building works, electricity installations, plumbing installations and finishing.

According to Mwesigye, the completion of the main in-patient structure by MTN Uganda Foundation has solved issues of low turn-up and enabled them treat and admit patients during the lockdown.

Because of the presence of an inpatient structure, there is now an increase in inpatient admissions which has led to reduced decongestion of Kabale regional referral hospital.

Surgery

MTN also went on to acquire a generator, beddings including: 20 mattresses, 20 metallic beds, 20 mosquito nets and 20 Blankets which have enabled the health centre carry out operations in the theatre.

“The wards did not have a water system in place. MTN Uganda Foundation put flashing water in all those toilets and wash facilities,” he further explains.

The community in Kabale district lauds MTN and is “very appreciative and beyond grateful” as they are enjoying a neat and conducive environment at the hospital.

Prior to 2010, it was survival for the fittest to access water from a borehole in Kiryandongo district where over 2000 people relied on only 2 functional boreholes.

Kiryandongo district which houses survivors of the Bududa landslides in Mbale is also the host community for
 refugees in the refugee resettlement camp.

As Julius Weleka, the chairman LC 1, Panyadoli A village as well as chairman of the Bududa community narrates, the water situation was so bad that it led to fights between themselves and refugees.

“The relationship between us and the refugees was very bad because people were fighting for water. Sanitation was also very bad because people did not have water. The number of people getting sick was also high,” he recounts.

There was a sudden twist of events when MTN set up 10 boreholes in the area which has since let out a sigh of relief having attained significant accessibility to water.

The boreholes which were an initiative of the MTN Kampala marathon stemming from the proceeds in 2010 have led to increased hygiene in the region especially amongst the children and youth.

“When MTN came in and gave us those boreholes, life changed. Up to today, we don’t have a big problem of water. The boreholes have come to the rescue of more than 4000 people including the refugees who are bordering the village. Now people can cook and bathe which has greatly improved our sanitation,” the 47-year old Weleka says.

Bududa is a disaster prone area with many people affected by the perpetual landslides.

Multiple efforts not only from government but also private sector have gone towards ensuring those affected in Bududa have a second take at a better life.

Wim Vanhelleputte, the MTN chief executive officer, recognizes that the role that the private sector must play in the country’s socio-economic development.

He says that MTN Uganda is greatly proud to have contributed to the restoration of livelihood in the community that was plagued by unprecedented natural disasters.

“The rationale behind directing the proceeds towards Bududa landslide survivors was to ensure that those that had survived enjoyed safe water services and are safeguarded from diseases,” he says.

One of the pillars of the marathon is to enable disadvantaged communities have access to and benefit from social services ensuring that no one is left behind.

In the spirit of togetherness and leaving no one behind, MTN has for the past 16 years undertaken initiatives with the aid of close to UGX4billion collected in proceeds.

MTN Kampala marathon proceeds include all

 Born in 2004, MTN Kampala marathon has dedicated millions of shillings of the proceeds to providing mama kits to expectant mothers in internally displaced people’s camps.

MTN Uganda and partners have also used the proceeds to renovate and equip maternity wards at Health Centre IVs in various parts of the country.

Between 2015 and 2016, MTN installed state of the art toilets embedded with biogas digesters for clean energy in 10 public schools around Kampala city including Kitante primary school among others.

The marathon proceeds have also drawn water into various districts of northern Uganda including Amuria and Nakapiripirit to mention but a few through the setup of multiple boreholes.

“The boreholes enable us to get clean water and also the distance is not far. Prior to the setup of boreholes, we used to fetch water from water ponds, rivers and the bush which was very dangerous for us since sometimes it would be late in the evening,” a beneficiary from Kotido where one of the boreholes was set up says.

Cognizant of the importance of water in life, MTN prioritized provision of clean water services to disadvantaged communities to mitigate spread of disease and dehydration.

Crowdfunding

 MTN Kampala marathon in which the telecom partners with Stanbic Bank Uganda, Huawei, Vision Group and Rwenzori Mineral Water is the epitome of a successful crowdfunding vehicle.

For the 16 years, the marathon has realized a collection of UGX4billion from runners around Kampala, all of whom indulge for various reasons.

The turnout has also registered tremendous increase as more than 20,000 people took part in the run in 2019.

What runners are saying

Over the years, Ugandans from different area codes have got together clad in shimmering yellow shirts, sharp and shooting for the number one position at the MTN Kampala Marathon.

The run has brought together vast numbers of people from different corners of the country, background, cultural, spiritual and religious affiliation for a just cause.

Wilfred Agaba from one of the media publications runs and visits the gym periodically prior to the run.

The lean gentleman along with his friends practice ahead of time in anticipation of a competitive run come November during the MTN Kampala marathon.

“In 2019, I ran and even received a medal for participation meaning I really came close to winning. I defeated all my friends this year. I feel good because I know I earned it,” he says.

He also admits that the element of charity empowers him to take part in the run.

“Not all of us are privileged to have what we need, so I pay to run because at the end of the day, I know that I am helping someone else,” Agaba explains.

Like Agaba, other participants view the marathon as an opportunity to get together for a similar cause, be it competing, exercise or charity.

Athletes on the other hand attribute part of their career success to the run saying it has been pivotal in their path towards attaining international recognition as Olympic winners.

“I am excited to return to the MTN marathon where I last ran in 2010. I would like to thank MTN for bringing up new comer runners and others can get sponsors from here,” Jacob Kiplimo, half marathon world champion says.

“MTN marathon built me to become an Olympic champion,” Stephen Kiprotich, Olympic gold medalist says.

• The MTN CallerTunez Awards shall be held every month to reward customers who use the call ring back tunes and artistes with the highest CallerTunez downloads.

• The winning artiste every month, will get UGX 2 million while up to 20 customers who download and use the tunes on their phones, will win Mobile Money and other assorted prizes.

• Artistes or authors of the content that has the most improved monthly downloads will UGX 1 million in that month.

• The MTN CallerTunez are MTN’s effort to among others digitize Ugandan music, local content and create additional income streams for the owners of the content e.g., music artistes.

MTN Uganda has revived the MTN CallerTunez Awards that will see artistes earn from their music and other content, every month for the duration of the promotion due to end in Dec 2021. Lucky customers who actively download the MTN CallerTunez will also walk away with cash prizes (MTN MoMo), and smartphones.

These monthly awards come in at a time when concerts and other outdoor entertainment have been suspended as a preventive measure against the spread of covid 19, significantly affecting income of artistes and other owners of audio content.

With the new monthly MTN CallerTunez Awards, lucky artistes with the highest number of downloads will win UGX 2,000,000 per artiste while those who own content e.g., content providers with the most improved downloads in a month, will win UGX 1,000,000. Every month, 20 lucky customers that download or actively use MTN CallerTunez will randomly be chosen to win UGX 50,000 each (through MTN Mobile Money) and smart phones.

 

“The MTN CallerTunez Awards are meant to recognize and reward both the artistes that create the content used as caller tunes as well as the customers who download and use the tunes,” explained Somdev Sen, the MTN Uganda Chief Marketing Officer. “We are happy to provide our artistes with an alternative source of income especially during this time when the pandemic has disrupted their work”.

MTN offers the CallerTunez service through a monthly subscription in partnership with Huawei. Under this service, MTN customers can download their favorite songs or audio skits as a ring back tune for their callers to listen to, when they place a call to the customers phone.

For customer to get a callertune, they simply dial *170# and follow the prompts or SMS the word ‘TUNE’, followed by a space then the CallerTune code e.g., ‘TUNE 5151415’ to 170. Each callertune is charged at UGX 700 and is valid for a period 30 days.

MTN Uganda informs its esteemed customers that following the coming in force of the Excise Duty (Amendment) Act 2021, on July 1, 2021, Over the Top (OTT) tax of UGX 200 per day has been repealed. Accordingly, all customers can now access the internet and all social media platforms without paying the said tax. All OTT tax-inclusive data bundles have been discontinued. All other standardised and customised voice and data bundles remain unchanged and are accessible on all our platforms by dialling *150#.

We believe that everyone deserves the benefits of a modern, connected life.

For any queries, please reach out to our customer care support teams on 100 (Toll Free), email customerservice.ug@mtn.com or WhatsApp 077 212 3100.

MTN Uganda Management

MTN recently announced a partnership with several members of the Telecom Infra Project (TIP) which will see the telecom advance network automation using TIP’s Disaggregated Cell Site Gateway (DCSG).

We had an Interview with Ali Monzer, MTN Uganda chief technical information officer to explain what the new technology means for customers

 

1. MTN recently announced rollout of a Disaggregated Cell Site Gateway (DCSG) technology, what is that?

To understand DCSG, you ought to know how telephone calls are made. Currently, we have towers across the country which house antennae. These towers emit radio frequencies in the air which are displayed on your phone as 2G, 3G and 4G. So, when making a call from Kampala to Mbarara, your phone will communicate to a tower in Kampala through the antennae which sends the session to a switch center in Kampala where it will be processed and sent to a tower in Mbarara where the phone call receiver is.

We have switches in few centralized positions in the country. The above process of making a call from one area to another is made possible through a transport network. The transport network carries phone calls, data, messages, mobile money, and digital services as well. DCSG is the transport network that moves all telecommunication traffic.

Telecommunication Transport network is very complex and expensive; involving a high capital investment for any telecommunication operator.

DCSG is an innovation in the transport network which will enable MTN run a much bigger automated end to end network at a lesser cost in a more efficient way.

We are the first in Africa to rollout this technology. It’s already in operation in Europe and North America and they are realizing the benefits. In Uganda, it will be rolled out in a phased manner.

2. Please expound on how it will be rolled out?

We are currently at the design stage of this project, but it is important to note that the deployment of this technology is a journey because MTN has 2500+ sites.  However, we are going to start the roll out in selected sites. We chose this path of deployment in order to clearly ascertain the impact and benefit of the technology especially in improving the service for our customers.

3. What should customers expect when deployment of this technology comes to life?

An improved service across all aspects including voice, data, SMS and all other digital services.  DCSG is going to optimise the transport network to streamline and improve our customer’s experience while using MTN services. For instance, it will allow us to optimize the latency. Latency refers to the time it takes for a signal to travel to its destination and back. This means that if you are in Karamoja, the new technology should allow you to connect a phone call in a few milliseconds. If it takes 2 seconds to hear the ring, the DCSG technology might reduce the connection time by a certain percentage. The voice quality is also going to be enhanced. Overall, the benefits are incremental.

 

4. Uganda has many budding developers who are bolstered through the telecom network especially mobile money. Will this technology impact digitization in anyway?

Definitely. It will open us up to digitize more services. It will also us to be more bullish in mobile money to enrich services on the products and platforms. You know digitization boosts productivity and the economy through creating jobs and more business opportunities especially for the youth. This will not only boost MTN but also the entire economy. This technology will allow MTN expose its network assets in very efficient way to allow people to innovate.

5. Why is MTN deploying this infrastructure?

At MTN, we strive to deliver the best services to our customers. This technology promises to advance the customer experience while also streamlining our operations. This technology will also facilitate MTN to shift from a communication service provider to a digital service provider. MTN digital services such as MTN’s Whatsapp version; Ayoba and mobile money among others require a lot of resources and a very stable and efficient transport network which we hope to achieve with DCSG.

6. In 2020, MTN launched 5G in Uganda. Will this technology deliver 5G internet speed to Uganda?

We didn’t launch 5G yet, but we did a Proof of Concept (POC) with our partners to test the service but in the long run. This is a key foundation for 5G because it is about fast speed and low latency. The most important aspect of latency is the transport network and with this technology we are going to achieve the lowest latency possible in Africa to transport data. This technology will allow us to run 5G which is predominantly for industrial use for example self-driving vehicles, tele medicine and etc …