Kampala — The Kuwaiti mobile phone giant, MTC's acquisition of Celtel International will not cause any profound change in the operation of the company's local subsidiary, Celtel Uganda, according to the Managing Director, Mr Tim Bahrani.

Celtel Uganda's management and board of directors will remain intact, "it will be business as usual for us in Uganda," he said in a brief statement about the change.

However, the development announced on Tuesday this week holds out great promise for Celtel Uganda's customers and the company's 13-country sub Saharan African presence.

MTC, a leading mobile phone service operator bought 85 percent of Celtel International based in the Netherlands for $3.32 billion, and said it would complete the ownership in two years by acquiring the remaining 15 percent. Under MTC's ownership, Bahrani said: "We can expect a continued commitment to improving our network and service offering".

Bahrani said in an interview yesterday at the company's head office that Celtel would now ride on the firm base of the largest mobile phone concerns in the Middle East and North Africa, a fact that would render all Celtel Group's divisions significant capacity in new investments: boosting network efficiency, coverage expansion and broadening the array of products available.

Already Celtel has upgraded its GSM, booster stations and the central switch. "We have the most modern network in Uganda now," he said.

Early 2004, Celtel international strengthened its stranglehold on the East Africa region by acquiring Kenya's KenCell, making it the only network with a regional-wide connection. Bahrani said that spread made Celtel the only mobile company that can offer standard communications solutions to firms that have a regional presence.

Celtel International, with 5.2 million subscribers in Sub Saharan Africa alone doubled its net profit in 2004 to $147 million and has been planning listing on London Stock Market.