Kampala — The political strife that ousted one of Africa's longest sitting leaders, Muammar Gaddafi of Libya affected a number of business establishments on the African continent among which was their investment in uganda telecom.

uganda telecom was partly owned by the Gaddafi led government under their investment arm LAP Green which owned a 69% stake in Uganda telecom.

These businesses were affected when the United Nations implemented sanctions on all investments owned by the then Tripoli government henceforth stalling uganda telecom operations and growth.

This left the telecom giant suffocating on debts, revenue losses, employee mass departures and most negatively their customers who moved to their competitors who were more financially and resourcefully established.

But that was in 2011. Fast forward to 2013, the telecom firm partly owned by government of Uganda is showing signs of recovery after it announced a number of service delivery improvements most notably on the frank of customer care delivery.

Acquisition

Last week the firm arguably with the widest network coverage for both mobile and fixed landlines revealed that they had acquired the latest new customer Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system that helps them relate easily with their subscriber.

The new IVR is available for all customers that call for inquiries through the call center who can now chose between Luganda, Kiswahili, Runyakitara, Luo and English to have their inquiries responded to without waiting for an operator.

Customers will be able to get information to help them activate offers and services on mobile, ISP and fixed help lines. This according to the company will guarantee faster response to service requests since it can handle up to 60 customers at the same time.

"Uganda telecom customers will now spend less time waiting in queue to be served, as the new IVR will effectively double the capacity at the Kampala call center," David Holiday, uganda telecom Managing Director stated during a recent press conference in Kampala.

Subscription

They also announced that customer airtime or credit will now not expire even if the subscriber simcard has not been in service for a long time say a year.

Ordinarily if a subscriber doesn't use his airtime or credit within six month it expires and that customer is required to buy new airtime.

This under the new uganda telecom arrangement has come to an end, all a customer needs to do if his or her simcard has been inactive for a period of more than six month is to replace his simcard and claim his unused airtime.

"There are greater things coming from uganda telecom," Holiday asserted, adding that his job is to make sure the company gets back to being competitive.

"We are now starting to emerge with visibility," adds Holiday During the times of United Nations sanctions, the firm was not allowed to make an investment into any of its business operations and until recently when new investors came on board, uganda telecom was on some kind of Sabbatical leave.

While uganda telecom was in hibernation, Orange Uganda, MTN Uganda, Airtel Uganda, Smile Communications who make a bunch of its closest competitors together with an influx of internet broadband service providers were eating up the market in their absence.

Targets

Now they have to play a catch up of sorts with targeted capital injection to regain their leading position in the telecom sector which is characteristically small.

"We have been cleaning up our fixed and mobile business. With these actions we hope they speak louder than words," Holiday gives a glimpse of what the y have in plan for their recovery.

Holiday is convinced with the largest fixed line network in the country they cannot go wrong and rehabilitation has taken precedent and ongoing.

However in the recent years, telecom business has moved from just making voice calls to include providing both desktop and mobile internet and mobile banking hence diversifying the source of income for the telecom business.

But the man tasked with the responsibility to revitalize uganda telecom is aware of the trends in the industry and hinted that tens and tens of billion shillings have been allocated to ensure they firm has the solutions today's customer needs.

Holiday revealed they have made a hefty investment in Msente their flagship mobile money transfer platform to compete with the already established Mobile Money of MTN, Warid Pesa, Airtel Money, EzeeMoney and Orange Money.

Solutions

Holiday mentioned that data and internet solution especially those that are mobile based are the new cash cow for the telecom companies and that it is one area they have set their eyes on to explore.