Government ministries will now pay less to access the internet

NITA-U said that MDAs will now pay $35 megabits per second, down from $70, through the National Backbone Infrastructure.

"The National Information Technology Authority has today announced a further reduction of the internet bandwidth for Government Ministries, departments, and Agencies (MDAs) to $35 per megabit per second through the National Backbone Infrastructure," the statement read.

While speaking to journalists at the Uganda Medica Centre, the Minister of ICT and National Guidance, Chris Baryomunsi, reechoed the message, saying the reduction in prices would begin effective immediately.

"Ladies and gentlemen, with all these key achievements undertaken by the government under NITA-U, I am delighted to announce that effective today (Tuesday, August 1, 2023), the price of the internet has reduced from $70 megabits per second to $35. I would like to note that this means that Government offices linked to the National Backbone Infrastructure will be able to access the internet at the lowest prices on the market," he said during the press conference yesterday.

Baryomunsi added that the ripple effects of the Government’s action will influence the prevailing retail internet prices on the market, leading to improvements in the accessibility and affordability of internet services, ultimately benefiting the population and potentially increasing internet penetration in Uganda.

NITA-U started offering internet services in 2013, primarily to government entities and offices. However, along the way, the agency expanded its services to encompass the private sector and special interest groups like innovation hubs, education institutions, and Wi-Fi hotspots.

From financial year 2017/2018 to date, NITA-U has maintained a steady rate of $70 for each Mbps of Internet following a competitive market analysis against the average market rate, which is currently at $84.