Liquid Intelligent Technologies
(Liquid), a business of Cassava Technologies, a leading pan-African technology
group, has partnered with Kampala-based telecommunications company ATC Uganda
to expand Liquid’s public Wi-Fi network to 320 hotspots across the city.
According to a statement issued on
Monday, the partnership aims to provide convenient and high-speed internet
access to users in Kampala, enhancing their online experience and connectivity,
without the need for data contracts.
Supplementing
its 280 hotspots launched last year, Liquid will use ATC’s tower infrastructure
to set up additional Wi-Fi hotspots in the downtown area, starting with the
street of Luwum Street. To enjoy unlimited internet access, users simply
purchase a voucher and select the Liquid Wi-Fi hotspot SSID on their
devices.
“With just over 13 million internet users in Uganda at the
start of 2024, with internet penetration at only 27%, there is much to be done
in ensuring that more people in the country have access to the resources they
need to thrive in the digital economy,” said Michael Mukasa, CEO of Liquid Intelligent Technologies
Uganda.
“Through this public Wi-Fi initiative, Liquid is
supporting the Ugandan government’s 2022 announcement that it would install
2000 free Wi-Fi hotspots across the country, extending internet access to
remote areas. In addition, it also makes Liquid’s wholesale, enterprise,
retail, and home services more accessible to users.”
Wi-Fi
hotspots in public locations are invaluable in today’s digital age, allowing
users to log on to the internet wirelessly, stay connected, work remotely, and
access online resources. Additionally, by providing internet access in
underserved areas, hotspots play an important role in bridging the digital
divide and promoting social inclusion.
Liquid’s
collaboration with ATC Uganda offers numerous benefits to end users in the
country, including the availability of high-speed internet with speeds reaching
up to 1 Gbps, ideal for bandwidth-intensive activities such as streaming,
gaming, and downloading large files. Because the network operates on the less
congested 5GHz frequency band, it ensures a smoother and more reliable internet
experience.
Moreover, the
service offers flexible payment options, with the choice of purchasing daily or
weekly vouchers, allowing users to tailor their internet access according to
their needs and duration of stay in the downtown area. Another unique benefit
is that the cap is on time, and not on speed or data. Internet prices have been
a major hindrance when it comes to accessing information and other services,
and Liquid’s hotspots provide secure connectivity across multiple devices, at a
far lower cost.
By expanding
internet access through these hotspots, Liquid is not only supporting the
Ugandan government’s vision for national development and digital inclusion, as
articulated in the country’s Digital Transformation Roadmap, but also
ensuring that the citizens of the country have access to connectivity where
they need it – in public offices, government hospitals, universities, hotels,
shopping malls, and residential apartments. This in turn aligns with Liquid’s
own vision of a digitally enabled Africa in which no one is left behind.
By: Nana Appiah Acquaye
