HiPipo Money

Apple has a reputation of delivering high quality and pricy products that are hardly affordable by majority of people in the developing world. Now that the first billion Smartphone and Tablet users, is almost covered most of whom are in developed countries, the next billion of Smartphone and Tablet users will be more price conscious. It could be due to that reason that apple has releases  iPad Mini which still at  $329 is costly compared to Amazon Kindle an education product that goes for less than $150.

If Apple iPad Mini is to find more education purposes with the second billion of mobile device user, Apple will need to devise ways of delivering quality at much more reduced price otherwise, the writing is on the wall that Android based devices will become the darling of the second billion of mobile users if prices are not checked for apple devices.

From the west where the mobile revolution started, Telecoms had a way of retaining customers with contracts. This is still the case though fast changing. In Africa, Uganda in particular, we started with people referring to their phone as “My Celtel” at the time when Celtel was the only provider, but this was short lived when other players joined the market. 5-10 years ago a telecom could talk about retaining customers but the market is fast becoming very competitive without a single telecom being the best at all services including voice, data, video and mobile payments.  People are increasing using 3 or more telecom lines which they shift between based on which has a better daily, weekly or monthly packaged to suite the customer needs. The customers are becoming “Polygamous” where it best suits their needs!

There is now very little prospect of any individual telecom fully owning, rather than sharing, the customer and telecoms will increasingly keep losing customer ownership if they do not respond fast to customer’s changing mindset. Operators need to understand and respond to fast-changing customer expectations and behaviors if they are to fight off the competitive threat from other providers. This will require operators to communicate clearly the underlying value of the network and the sources of added value that differentiate their offerings in new service areas. Innovation in the service model could also be used to build brand loyalty in the same way technology players have done. Ernest & Young -Top 10 risks in telecommunications 2012!

The Uganda telecom industry has seen price wars on voice leading to reduction in Average Revenue per User. As this price competition threatened, the telecoms core cash cow, many are searching for services that could replace reducing revenues through voice calls. Data and Mobile Financial Services have come as the lead alternative services and promise to bring in bigger percentage of telecoms revenue.

The generation Y (Young people) that are the biggest population are increasingly using data services and less voice. Many young people will increasingly pay more for data than they would pay for voice more so that Voice over IP option is becoming a reality. The telecoms that will survive the future should start shifting their business model from minutes to bytes.

MTN, Orange, UTL, Warid and Airtel Uganda have all launched data services some offering true 3.75G experience while others offering 2.5G marketed as 3.75G! The market forces will prevail and telecoms that offer good speeds and affordable bytes (not minutes) package will prevail and lead the future.

October, 2012

On October 6th, 2012, British Airways in conjunction with AAR Health Services (U) made a visit to Sanyu Baby’s home where they ministered to the children. Among other items British Airways. donated baby books, diapers, clothes, feeding bottles, tissues, shoes, toys from and AAR provided vaccinations and free health services to the children.

British Airways country Commercial Manager Uganda Faith Chaitezvi said, ‘a One of British Airways objective is to create an impact in the lives of humanbeings. Children are looked at as priority and therefore reason our commitment to Sanyu baby’s home.’

She continued, “British Airways has Sanyu Baby’s home at heart. We are proud to contribute to the home on an annual basis and we know it makes a positive impact in the lives of the little ones and also gives them a sense of belonging.”

Also speaking at the event, Assistant General Manager operations AAR Health services (U) Grace Ssali Kiwanuka said, “Every child deserves a chance at life. Coming to Sanyu babies home from time to time is a way of ensuring that no child is forgotten. In line with our slogan, “your health is our priority, we invest heavily in health a reason as to why whenever we visit, and we provide a pediatric camp.”

Sanyu Baby’s home administrator Barbara Mutagubya, commended British Airways and AAR for their loyal services towards the home. “British Airways and AAR Health services have always fulfilled their commitment to Sanyu Baby’s home. They have kept loyal and provided for the children from time to time. We encourage that other organizations keep coming to give a hand in cleaning, laundry, feeding babies and giving the children company. It makes them feel apart of something.

• 70% work progress on the replacement of the nine culverts between Busembatia and Jinja
• All access roads opened providing additional infrastructure for the community

Kampala: September, 2012. Early this year RVR awarded the tender to repair nine major culverts between Busembatia and Jinja to Multiplex ltd – a Ugandan Engineering company, at a total cost of 5.4 Million dollars (UGX 13.5 Billion shillings). Multiplex has to date achieved 70% of pre casting work for the concrete culverts with a higher hydraulic capacity which will replace the 9 (nine) culverts that currently have worn out Armco steel pipes.

The RVR Board which was meeting in Kampala took time off to visit the Multiplex precast site in Bugolobi to inspect the progress of the culverts construction. At the site, Mr Ngugi Kiuna, the RVR Board Chairman who led the delegation said “we are pleased with the progress being made to replace the 9 culverts between Jinja and Busembatya.

This project is key in increasing the capacity of goods coming into Uganda as well as improving transit times.

The Board later toured the sites where preparatory works for the installation of the 9 culverts is currently ongoing. Replacement work involves opening up of access roads and preparation of coffer dams in addition to pre casting of the concrete pipes.

The board expressed satisfaction with the pace of the phase-one projects in the five year turnaround programme which include; Work on the 365 wagon rehabilitation project through a KFW grant, and overhaul of 8b locomotives that will significantly improve RVRs efficiency.

To date, 70 wagons have been overhauled at the Nalukolongo Railway workshop and work on locomotive overhaul has commenced.

In preparation for the culverts replacement, RVR has also opened up new access roads to the line with one new murram road constructed in Busembatya, connecting Tirinyi road to the Railway Line. These will serve to improve livelihoods in the neighboring communities.

Several months back MTN Uganda run a campaign under the theme that Internet Access is a Human right as declared by the United Nations. MTN offered 10MBs daily free for internet access! Even as on a few days, I did get these 10 MB, on several days I never had the luxury of MTN’s free 10MBs. That bring me to the question, is Internet Access a Right or a Luxury?

One will possibly be hard pressed to find people considering internet access or in Africa mobile broadband access as a luxury. The world has come to a point where heath care, education, commerce are all going to be driven by the internet and thus the world inhabitants that will not have this access will lack healthcare services, education and trade opportunities.

Given the centrality of broadband to economic and social growth, we are hence more inclined to see broadband internet access become a true human right!  Just as H.E the president of Uganda, has no kind words to politicians or individuals that apparently frustrate investment in the Energy and other infrastructure programs, it is my hope that government and the top leadership could have the same view as far as ICT infrastructure and more specifically internet infrastructure is concerned.