I-telecom has commercially launched its new mobile network in Uganda, becoming the country’s sixth mobile operator and first CDMA-based player. East African Business Week reports that the operator has invested US$30 million in the network to date and plans further investment of US$100 million over the next three years. In an exclusive interview with the newspaper, the firm’s CEO, Mulenga Augustine Caesar, said its advanced EV-DO-based network would set it apart in the crowded marketplace: “We promise our subscribers that we shall bring to them the best products and services in voice and data networks and solutions.” He added that I-telecom has been testing its services nationwide with about 1,000 customers for the last 11 months.

Mulenga was also upbeat on the prospects of room for growth in the market. “Uganda has a population of more than 30 million… About 55 percent of this population is actively working but the telecom industry is just jostling for 8-10 million people. It means that we have an opportunity to command and bring on board customers which other operators have not been able to attract,” he said. According to Wireless Intelligence data, Uganda had 10.5 million mobile connections by the end of the second-quarter. The market leader is MTN (4.4 million), followed by Zain (2.4 million), Uganda Telecom (1.8 million), Warid Telecom (1.7 million) and new entrant Orange (182,000), which launched its Ugandan network in 1Q09.