Liquid Intelligent Technologies (Liquid), a business of Cassava Technologies, a leading pan-African technology group, has partnered with Kampala-based telecommunications company ATC Uganda to expand Liquid’s public Wi-Fi network to 320 hotspots across the city. Overall, this partnership aims to provide convenient and high-speed internet access to users in Kampala, enhancing their online experience and connectivity, without the need for data contracts.
Supplementing its 280 hotspots launched last year, Liquid will use ATC’s tower infrastructure to set up additional Wi-Fi hotspots in the downtown area, starting with the street of Luwum Street. To enjoy unlimited internet access, users simply purchase a voucher and select the Liquid Wi-Fi hotspot SSID on their devices.
“With just over 13 million internet users in Uganda at the start of 2024, with internet penetration at only 27%, there is much to be done in ensuring that more people in the country have access to the resources they need to thrive in the digital economy,” said Michael Mukasa, CEO of Liquid Intelligent Technologies Uganda.
“Through this public Wi-Fi initiative, Liquid is supporting the Ugandan government’s 2022 announcement that it would install 2000 free Wi-Fi hotspots across the country, extending internet access to remote areas. In addition, it also makes Liquid’s wholesale, enterprise, retail, and home services more accessible to users.”
Wi-Fi hotspots in public locations are invaluable in today’s digital age, allowing users to log on to the internet wirelessly, stay connected, work remotely, and access online resources. Additionally, by providing internet access in underserved areas, hotspots play an important role in bridging the digital divide and promoting social inclusion.
Liquid’s collaboration with ATC Uganda offers numerous benefits to end users in the country, including the availability of high-speed internet with speeds reaching up to 1 Gbps, ideal for bandwidth-intensive activities such as streaming, gaming, and downloading large files. Because the network operates on the less congested 5GHz frequency band, it ensures a smoother and more reliable internet experience.
Moreover, the service offers flexible payment options, with the choice of purchasing daily or weekly vouchers, allowing users to tailor their internet access according to their needs and duration of stay in the downtown area. Another unique benefit is that the cap is on time, and not on speed or data. Internet prices have been a major hindrance when it comes to accessing information and other services, and Liquid’s hotspots provide secure connectivity across multiple devices, at a far lower cost.
By expanding internet access through these hotspots, Liquid is not only supporting the Ugandan government’s vision for national development and digital inclusion, as articulated in the country’s Digital Transformation Roadmap, but also ensuring that the citizens of the country have access to connectivity where they need it – in public offices, government hospitals, universities, hotels, shopping malls, and residential apartments. This in turn aligns with Liquid’s own vision of a digitally enabled Africa in which no one is left behind.
