Kampala, Uganda | URN | The Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) has launched a study to assess the usage and impact of mobile phones, particularly smartphones, in Uganda as the country works towards achieving 100 percent national network coverage by 2030. The assessment will examine smartphone penetration, the cost of devices, and challenges affecting access to phone-based services, to inform interventions that can promote meaningful digital participation.
According to UCC, the findings will provide a baseline for future interventions and help track progress towards increased digital inclusion. Currently, Uganda has about 20.5 million registered smartphones, compared to 32 million feature phones in use, according to data presented by Eng. Rebecca Mayanja, the Head of Research at UCC. However, data from UCC’s quarterly market report, which compiles information from telecommunications companies, indicates that as of the end of June 2026, there were 13.6 million feature phones and 24.8 million basic phones registered on the networks.
UCC attributed the discrepancy between registered devices and those estimated to be in use to factors including phones that have been discarded or abandoned, as well as devices acquired through informal channels such as donations from abroad. The report shows that Uganda had 64.6 million registered mobile phone subscriptions as of the end of June 2026, while active subscriptions—defined as those that had been used within the previous 90 days—stood at 49 million.
Although 96 percent of the country is covered by 4G networks, UCC says usage of internet-enabled services remains low. The market report for April to June 2026 shows that only 19.7 million people were active mobile internet users, defined as subscribers who had accessed the internet during the previous 90 days. Ibrahim Bbossa, the Head of Public and International Relations at UCC, said the statistics raise questions about how connected Ugandans actually are and highlight the need to convert network accessibility and subscriptions into meaningful usage.
Eng. Mayanja said network coverage only measures how close the population is to a service but does not indicate the extent to which people are actually using it. She said this demonstrates the gap between network coverage and usage, rather than a gap in network reach. One of the major factors identified as contributing to low internet usage is the limited penetration of internet-enabled devices, particularly smartphones, partly due to their high cost.
UCC says taxes account for about one-third of the cost of an entry-level smartphone, while purchasing such a device would consume about 96 percent of the monthly income of people in the lowest-income group, which constitutes about 40 percent of the population. Smartphone penetration or adoption in Uganda is estimated at 35 percent of the adult population, significantly lower than Kenya’s 70 percent and Ghana’s 60 percent.
Apart from UCC, telecommunications operators including Airtel Uganda, MTN Uganda and Uganda Telecom Corporation Limited (UTCL), as well as internet service providers, have recommended that efforts to increase digital inclusion consider the total cost of ICT usage. This includes the cost of devices, electricity and the reliability of power supply, as well as other associated expenses beyond the cost of telecommunications services.
The stakeholders have also called for improvements in research methodologies, greater attention to broadcasting, better coordination of infrastructure development, increased youth participation, support for social media enterprises and consideration of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence in efforts to address low technology adoption. MTN Uganda said smartphones are increasingly essential for accessing opportunities in education, banking and commerce, but affordability of both devices and services remains a major barrier, particularly for low-income and rural populations.
MTN Uganda Chief Executive Officer Sylvia Mulinge called for measures to make smartphones more affordable so that more Ugandans can utilise the digital infrastructure being expanded across the country. She warned that expanding network coverage without ensuring that citizens can afford internet-enabled devices risks leaving significant investments in digital infrastructure underutilised.
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