Ugandan Phone Maker Boosts Mobile Penetration with 500,000 New Devices

At least half a million Ugandans can now access mobile telecommunications services using high-quality mobile phones assembled in Uganda, by Mione, a mobile device manufacturer, with an assembling plant in Mbale City, in Eastern Uganda.

Mione, which is also headquartered in Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates, has sold at least 500,000 feature phones in Uganda, following the kick-off of its operations early this year. In an exclusive interview, Shirley, the chairman of Mione said, "We are excited to see Ugandans welcome and embrace locally-assembled phones to meet their every communication need. Mione is proud to be part of this new journey that promotes the spirit of Buy Uganda, Build Uganda (BUBU)."

"By assembling phones locally, we not only create hundreds of jobs for Ugandans but also allow our customers to experience better products at pocket-friendly prices. Including three bestselling models AB1/AB3/AB6, all our feature phones have 2.5D drop-proof screen, a powerful flashlight controlled by side button," she added.

The Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) Q3 Market Report, released in August 2023 shows that there was an increase in the use of mobile phones in the country with a net addition of 958,000 new mobile devices. “The number of devices accessing the telecom network in Uganda witnessed a 3% growth from December 2022 to March 2023, reaching a total of 39.1 million. This surge is largely attributed to the increasing adoption of smart and feature devices, which grew by 3% quarter-on-quarter to 12.6 million and 24.5 million, respectively,” the report reads in part.

Despite the general increase in mobile phone penetration, the count of feature phones declined by 9% to 1.85 million handsets during the same period. The net addition of new mobile devices aligns with the number of new active SIM cards registered in the three months leading up to March 2023.

“The continuous trend of adopting smart and feature gadgets signals ongoing technological advancements and showcases the market’s adaptiveness to new hardware releases, such as e-sims as well as the growth in digitalization and e-commerce.”

While visiting the Sino Uganda-Mbale Industrial Park where the Mione assembling plant is located in August this year, President Yoweri Museveni commended firms like Mione, for the great work they are doing and investing in Uganda to create more jobs for Ugandans. “I’m very glad the Chinese government is encouraging Chinese companies to go out and invest in Africa. I thank them so much.”