South Sudan Gemtel to stop use of Uganda’s dialling code

August 19, 2008 (KAMPALA) — Southern Sudan will stop using the controversial Uganda’s dialling code next month, the Ugandan minister of communication told the MPs in Kampala today.

Since last year questions are raised about circumstances under which Uganda Telecom Ltd (UTL) gave the private southern Sudan operator Gemtel a franchise to use its national code (+256) since 2006.

Ugandan MPs say the country is losing millions of shillings since Gemtel uses the code without paying direct taxes to the government, while Gemtel, whose chairman is listed as Augustus Caesar Mulenga, a Ugandan, says it is paying UTL 50,000 dollars (89.5m shillings) a month in interconnection fees.

"We have been informed by the Sudanese government that in October, there will be no need for them to use our +256 telephone code,” the information and communication technology minister, Ham Mulira, told the lawmakers on Tuesday.

Mulira was answering to questions raised during a debate on his ministry’s budget for 2008 financial year.

However the minister dismissed allegations that Gemtel uses the Ugandan dialling code for free. "It is not accurate to say that the code is for free. The operators have interconnection charges,” Mulira stressed.

Last year some Ugandan lawmakers said that Gemtel could have illegally set up a satellite dish at the Mpoma earth satellite station, a sensitive government facility in Mukono District in southeastern Uganda, 21 km from Kampala.

(ST)

8 Forum messages

South Sudan Gemtel to stop use of Uganda’s dialling code 20 August 2008 07:36, by Mr Famous Big_Logic_Boy

No absolutely Uganda can’t suspend the code of +256 from being used by Southern Sudan, even imagine right now we cannot receive outside calls unless we call them this is not a big deal by the way, I support the statements made by Gemtel, chairman Augustus there is no one in world who can allow h/her property to be used by someone for free of charge. But what I would expect from Uganda is to allow the internal calls to be received like in Juba, Yei, Torit, Maridi, and Yambio,even their network can’t be access from Rumbek,Wau and etc. Because at the moment we face a lot of difficulties with internal calls such as from Yei to Juba or Yambio.They are not supplying enough network to Gemetel this is why we always have prolems with both internal and international calls,perhaps if because they are not paying enough fees to Uganda Telcom Industry (UTL) i don’t know yet.But i believe that we don’t used much of UTL network infact sometimes we can’t use our phones due bad network.

However Uganda must not panic with what al basher has suggest with his criminal mind, we are independent how can al bashit intend to act on behalf of South while we have our internal constitution. I don’t even feel like using +249 whenever they come into agree with Gemetel, first 49 is not a lucky number it’s an odd number which means terrorist or something very bad,it is only suitable for sadist people to use. Secondly if they force Gemetel, I would say Goss has nothing to show on our side because the constitution of South has its power on the economic of South. Otherwise I would say Kenya must supply South with area code of +254.Its unhealthy to see Goss leaving al bashit to act on our side.Al bashit we are not in 80s where you used some black aganist each other it is 2000 we’re capable.

South Sudan Gemtel to stop use of Uganda’s dialling code 20 August 2008 08:16, by Mabor Yiel

It is not a big deal to suspend Ugandan dialing code. But we should have to create our own International dialing code only mentioned for South Sudan.

Uganda is not well established in economics activities to help us so far. South Sudan should be smart, independent, and be good in doing its own develpment rather then relying on other dwarf countries in term of development.
- South Sudan Gemtel to stop use of Uganda’s dialling code 20 August 2008 09:10, by Joseph Atem
  
  We have right to have our own code as South Sudan.Using Uganda code all the time is not good.We are a country,we agreed to have our own code of South Sudan.
- South Sudan Gemtel to stop use of Uganda’s dialling code 15 April 2009 21:25, by Abdu Kasujja
  
  Wow its so unbelievable to the extent of most ,not all, but most people of Southern Sudan How ungratefull to the roll of Uganda ’s hand in bringing the peace to their land ,and the on going none suport , be it food, water, you name it,Tomatoes and onions its been coming from Uganda!! Even right now the number of Sudans in Uganda is huge!!Most are there to get the good starndard of education which many countries of come to Uganda for, but its beyond my comprehensio how some one like who wrotethe obove comment!!"DWARF" he or she must have a dwarf mind to utter such nonsense!!Uganda can do without Southern Sudan but the later can have it tough without Uganda-simple comon sense we dont get any thing from there but everything from Kampala is in Sudan.So people with DWARF minds you need to think twice before ,you say anything that dwarf,!! Uganda is making money by you using its area code but it can do without that revenue, But can you do wiyhout communication?? unless you re from the stone age!!YOUR COMMENT WAS PRETY DWARF!!

South Sudan Gemtel to stop use of Uganda’s dialling code 20 August 2008 08:44, by biarawieu

that is a good idea for south sudan to be independent and create their own dialling code. its good news for those who are outside Sudan because we couldn,t make call with this Uganda dialling code since 2006 specially in the western. anyway i thank Uganda Government for their help and should be a good relationship btw this two country i can see. BY BMB

South Sudan Gemtel to stop use of Uganda’s dialling code 20 August 2008 09:34, by phillip chol

Officially and peacefully, your code of (+256) is to be left to You alone, but we don’t want other strangers like Bashir to interfere by giving a deadline as he mentioned above. What about the work of government of south Sudan? Because they are the one who coordinate this relationship of using Ugandan’s code amicably with the government of Uganda. Thanks to minister of UTL for the period you have allowed your code of (+256) to be used in south Sudan.
- South Sudan Gemtel to stop use of Uganda’s dialling code 20 August 2008 13:14, by Santino Anei
  
  Let have our own dailing Code as South Sudanese I am very happy to hear that Uganda dailing code has been us expensively . Any way I am very to Uganda Government for the help they gave since 2006 up to now

Lets Get the Facts Right. 20 August 2008 19:06, by A-Kenn M

Lets think Out-Of-The-Box for a minute!
Please comment from a position of knowledge and not undigested information.

Gemtel’s inherent use of the +256... arose as a result of a necessity(amongst other obvious reasons) and not as a business/financial strategy as most of the comments here seem to believe it is.
In the Global scheme of things the current Gemtel vs UTL scenario is what is known as a MVNO-mobile virtual network operator) is a company that provides mobile phone service but does not have its own licensed frequency allocation of radio spectrum, nor does it necessarily have all of the infrastructure required to provide mobile telephone service) refer to ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MVNO ) for more on this. Since its inception its normal for a operator in a Post conflict zone to operate like this... when the situation changes, normalcy is restored.

Please note that as a Global International System, Telephony and related Telecommunications Services are governed by International Bodies, GSMA and ITU. These Bodies have established systems of international dial codes and the framework of international agreements have already been "etched in stone" and all "New Operators" of Telecommunication services( especially Cellular and related) bind into the agreements. Such Agreements have a large prevalence to the territorial particularities of the Services provided. Regardless of the big operator Mergers (ie ZAIN) or the equipment manufacturers ( Motorola/Nokia/Ericsson) they still provide the services limited TERRITORIALLY. The only way these services can be shared or reciprocated is by signing agreements with the GSMA then individual Roaming Agreements with Adjacent countries and other continents.. and specific routings and interconnections at the 4 major Switching centers. (ie +1..USA +2 Africa +3 mainland Europe etc -furthermore each country is then given a code ie +254 -Kenya +256 Uganda +257 Tanzania +249 Sudan ). Gemtel being an Operator in the TERRITORY of Sudan has to be in compliance to this regulation. (countries can have as many operators as there is business for each. China has over 10 different Operators and each fall under +8XXX -where XXX is a different digit combination for the different operators ad regional codes.

This is a world order and the current operation for Gemtel has been in gross violation of this. So the current expectation of UTL is to return the system back to normalcy. Because it is both BOTH Uganda and Sudan are in Violation due to complicity.
Sorry for the lesson. PART 1