Kampala, Uganda | By Ole Tangen Jr. | Foris Group, an international company based in Israel, is launching a new Internet service this month called “in”. The service will be using what they termed as “4th generation” WiMax technology, a first for such technology in Uganda.
According to Moshe Mitz, the company’s CEO, customers can soon purchase a USB dongle that plugs into a desktop or laptop and within minutes can be surfing the internet at speeds starting at 256Kbs.
“We want to revolutionize Internet use in this country,” said Mitz. “And we are going to give special focus to the residential use of our service.”
But, added Mitz, we also offer high-speed, dedicated connections for businesses with bandwidth up to 10 megabytes per second. At the moment, the service is just being rolled out in Kampala but plans exist to expand it to other parts of the country.
Asked what would set in apart from the other Internet service providers (ISPs) in an increasingly crowded market, Mitz responded with one word: price.
The company plans to offer a variety of subscription packages at the lowest prices on the market.
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Since the SEACOM fiber-optic cable arrived in Uganda last fall, the price for an Internet connection has been steadily dropping while speeds have increased.
But still the basic costs of equipment and connection fees are out of reach for most Ugandans – even for those who can afford a computer.
“This would have been impossible a year ago. The fiber optic cables have made it possible for us to enter the market and offer our service at an unbeatable price,” said Mitz.
