Kampala — The arrival of Foris Telecom into the data market has broadened the opportunities for internet consumers as players and offers in the previously secluded market open up.

Foris is trading under the brand name of IN Uganda. Analysts say data or internet services stands on the brink of completely being demystified and accessible to the mass market if well exploited and its value understood. "And this will open the mobile economy for this country and with it the huge benefits of the information super highway," said an IT expert from Makerere University Kampala.

"This market is a market of pricing, the solution must be affordable," said Moshe Mitz, IN Uganda chief executive officer recently. Foris is headquartered in Israel. This service is almost equal to what Smile Telecom, a new entrant in the voice segment promised but is yet to aggressively promote where callers do not have to own handsets to make calls.

Callers using the Smile network also pay for a standard fee across all networks. Orange Uganda is the other player turning the market with offers in the residential and high speed mobile internet. "The revolution of the fibre optics has changed the market. In just two year, there has been a huge change," said Mitz. But what other analysts and consumers have complained about is the consistency of the service because many service providers enter the market with a bang and then quality of service slowly starts to decline.

"The increasing competition should be able to stamp out those who cannot maintain quality service," said one industry watcher. It will also call for more vigilance from the industry regulator, Uganda Communications Commission to protect consumer interests. The entry of many players in the voice segment did not dramatically translate into lower prices or superior service.

The other challenge is that IN Uganda fourth generation cannot be shared with other operators who are on the third generation infrastructure until the company spreads across the country or offers dual modems that can operate on either platform.