A PYMNTS Company

Uganda: Major telecom buyout plans to make big changes in market

By  |  May 6, 2013

A proposed merger between two of the world’s largest telecommunications companies has experts within Uganda debating the effects of such a deal as the nation’s industry leader MTN Uganda prepares for a possible new rival. Warid Telecom and Airtel, of the globe’s fourth-largest mobile phone operator Bharti Airtel, have agreed to merge in a deal that could pit the combined business against MTN, which currently controls 52 percent of the nation’s telecommunications market. Experts, however, are convinced the deal would result in healthy competition. Warid Telecom first entered the Ugandan market towards the end of 2010, a move that similarly shook up the market as the other three major players, MTN Uganda, Airtel and UTL, competed with price adjustments. MTN’s CEO remains confident that the company would remain at the top of the market if the merger were to become approved by industry regulators.

Full Content: The Independent

Want more news? Subscribe to CPI’s free daily newsletter for more headlines and updates on antitrust developments around the world.