Kampala — Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) is to license a national telephone operator to provide both mobile and fixed communication services.

International telephone companies like MTN Uganda and Uganda Telecommunications Limited (UTL) are currently providing Mobile and fixed lines.

"We are proposing to license a national operator 12 months after the expiry of the MTN and UTL duopoly in June this year," said UCC'S technical manager, Mr Patrick Mwesigye.

The new company will become operational after two years. He said since 51% of the shares of UTL are owned by the private sector, another national operator was needed to operate alongside the international companies.

Mwesigye revealed this at the United Nations Association of Uganda (UNAU)'s monthly ICT colloquiums held at Blue Africa on January 25.

UNAU is a member of the World Federation of United Nations Association (WFUNA) task force on the world summit on the information society. Its task is to brain storm stakeholders in the communication sector and build a consensus on activities that will realise the use of ICT for development at all levels.

He said the move aims at enhancing competition, quality services, and reducing telephone charges.

UNAU's General Secretary Mr Richard Baguma appealed to all communications firms to work as a team to enable the government deliver the promises it made during the world summit on information society.

The Danish government through the United Nations of Denmark funds UNAU's monthly ICT meetings.