)
)
Ugandans are pivoting from traditional voice calls to data consumption, a new report has revealed.
The latest data from Airtel Uganda, one of the major telecoms in the country, shows that Ugandans are choosing data over voice calls.
This surge in data revenue now makes up nearly half of Airtel’s total service revenues, signaling a transformation in both consumer habits and the broader telecom landscape.
Just a few years ago, voice calls were the main source of revenue for telecom companies in Uganda.
Today, they’ve been eclipsed by the demand for data bundles, as Ugandans increasingly choose data over voice calls.
This change is evident in the growth of Airtel’s data subscribers, which rose by 25.9% to reach 7.5 million.
)
Ugandans are pivoting from traditional voice calls to data consumption
Network Expansion to Keep Up with Demand
Meanwhile, average data usage per user climbed by 22.6%, reaching nearly 6GB per month. The trend suggests that Ugandans are not just connecting to the internet—they are consuming more data than ever before.
In its half-year results for the period ending 30 June 2025, Airtel reported a significant 30.4% increase in data revenue, which now accounts for nearly half of the company’s total service revenues.
This change in behaviour is also supported by findings from the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC), which noted that mobile internet subscriptions now nearly match the number of smartphone users in the country. Data consumption continues to increase as airtime purchases decline.
The increased demand for data has resulted in a 57.4% surge in overall network traffic.
To manage this, Airtel has had to speed up its infrastructure expansion. Over the past six months, the company has added 176 new 4G sites, rolled out 1,793km of new fibre, and installed 150 more 5G sites.
The shift to data has had a broader social impact. Smartphone penetration on the Airtel network has reached 39.9%, helped by device financing initiatives that make smartphones more accessible.