Digital TV Migration Uganda: Here’s a complete list of Free-To-Air channels and decoder vendors

Uganda has an estimated 6-7 million TV sets. If we estimate each household owning a Television to have an estimate of 5 people living together, that’s about 30 million Television viewers.

Of the 6-7 million TV sets, only about 300,000 are hooked to Pay TV stations according to the latest Stats from Uganda Communication Commission(UCC). That’s a mere 5% Television sets currently able to receive digital TV services. That means the remaining 95% are watching TV with Free-to-air (FTA) channels as opposed to subscription-based Pay-per-view(PPV) channels.

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Free-to-air (FTA) channels

But what are Free-to-air (FTA) channels? These are TV (and radio) channels that are broadcasted in clear unencrypted format. In other words, you don’t need special equipment requiring subscription model in order to view or listen to the broadcasted content. Just your TV and an antennae for the case of analogue TV or a Free-to-air decoder for Digital TV.

Pay-per-view (PPV) channels

Pay-per-view (PPV) channels are entirely the opposite of FTA channels. PPV channels are encrypted by Pay TV providers who supply their customers with special decoding equipment or decoders that unscramble the encrypted TV signals. This usually requires subscribers to pay a monthly subscription fee to Pay TV provider before they can view the content.

Digital Pay TV Providers in Uganda

Currently there are 5 operational Digital Pay TV providers in Uganda and they include Multichoice’s satellite TV service DSTV Uganda and its Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) cousin GoTV Uganda. DSTV requires viewers to have a satellite Dish and a decoder while Go TV only expects users to have a decoder to watch TV. Startimes Uganda has a similar model. They have StarSat which is their satellite service and a Startimes DTT service which only needs a decoder. The other providers are Zuku and AzamTV Uganda which are both digital satellite TV providers. Lastly, Simba TV, a merger between Kampala Siti Cable Ltd (KSCL) and TVNXT, provides not just digital TV services but also Internet.

Pay TV providers in Uganda also offer Free-to-air channels. However, they are only active when your subscription hasn’t expired. Should your subscription expire, you won’t be able to watch them apart from UBC.

List of Free-to-air channels in Uganda

Free-to-air channels include UBC, WBS, NTV, NBS, Lighthouse TV, Record TV, Capital, Bukedde TV, BTN TV, Bunyoro TV, EATV, Family TV, Top TV, Kakira Sugar TV, Channel 44, Top TV, Urban TV, Northern TV, and TV WA. These channels will continue to be free even after the migration from analogue to digital broadcasting. But you’ll need a Free-to-air decoder to access them if you are not subscribed to any of the Pay TV providers.


Related: Top channels on satellite combo decoder

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List of Free-to-air decoder vendors in Uganda

UCC has licensed a number of companies to sell certified digital DVB-T2 decoders or Set-top-boxes to the public. They include Trans-African Container Transport, Syscorp International, Brivid, Icomsys Africa and World Technologies among others. See the table below for the entire list.

Company NameContactsBrand
SINKA DIGITAL LTDMaendeleo House
6th Floor Suite
P.O Box 15372-00100
Nairobi
0772331586
[email protected]
FLAME-SAT
MA STORES
Ma Stores
Yamaha Centre
Plot 34, Luwuum Street,
Kampala, Uganda
0772440075
0772433682
[email protected]
TECHNOSAT
KONKA ELECTRONICS
Konka Electronics
Forest Mall
P.O Box 35696
Kampala, Uganda
0777649830
KONKA
GMAX ELECTRONICS LTD
GMAX Electronics Ltd
P.O. 73633, Kampala
Energy center Nakasero market street shop no. L2-22
Tel: +256772910843
[email protected]
STARGOLD
GMAX ELECTRONICS LTD
GMAX Electronics Ltd
P.O. 73633, Kampala
Energy center Nakasero market street shop no. L2-22
Tel: +256772910843
[email protected]
GOLDMAX
GMAX ELECTRONICS LTD
GMAX Electronics Ltd
P.O. 73633, Kampala
Energy center Nakasero market street shop no. L2-22
Tel: +256772910843
[email protected]
GMAX
M.K. MUHUMBU IMPORTERSM.K. MUHUMBU IMPORTERS
Plot 39, Luwum Street
P.O. Box 8320, Kampala
+256 414 251066
+256 702 406518
ARKIE STAR
TROPICAL BUSINESS LINKS
Tropical Business Links
P.O BOX 3478 KAMPALA
0758001806
0723640723
SONAR
TROPICAL BUSINESS LINKS
Tropical Business Links
P.O BOX 3478 KAMPALA
0758001806
0723640723
NANO
ATTIC COMPANY LTD
ATTIC COMPANY LTD
Royal Plaza, shop 15 Luwum street, Kampala-Uganda
+256 772 404256
+256 759 498 765
NANO
URBAN TECHNOLOGIES (U) LIMITED
Urban Technologies Uganda Limited
P.o Box 324245 Kampala
+256704366265, 0774366265
[email protected]
URBAN TECH
VEGA HOLDINGS LIMITED.
Vega Holdings Limited
P.O. Box 118 Nateete, Kampala
Plot 960 Makamba Road
Tel: +256 702380098
[email protected]
LUCKY STAR
SSENTIKO ELECTRONIC SERVICES (U) LTD.
Nansana,
Kampala, Uganda
0779657301
0705451603
[email protected]
M-TECH
SKY-WORTHS LTD.
P.O Box 163
Kampala, Uganda
0703664233
[email protected]
SKYWORTHS
F.T AGENCIES
Plot 7 Nasser Road.
P.O Box 8162,
Kampala, Uganda
0787287292
[email protected]
NEXT
SIMBA TELECOM
Plot 15 Aki Bua Road,
P.O Box 9421
Kampala, Uganda.
0312351500
ORION
SATELLITE OPTIONS
Kampala, Uganda
0752611110
0794496199
0776240240
[email protected]
CRYSTAL VIEW
CMJ HOLDINGS (U) LTD.
P.O Box 75020
Clock Tower
Kampala, Uganda
0788330314
[email protected]
HOTPOINT
WIDESTAR DIGITAL (U) LTD
2nd floor Madhvani Building, Plot 99/101, Buganda Rd, P.O Box 23725, Kampala
+256 750 80 2910,
+256 392 968 129
[email protected]
FENIX
WIDESTAR DIGITAL (U) LTD
2nd floor Madhvani Building, Plot 99/101, Buganda Rd, P.O Box 23725, Kampala
+256 750 80 2910,
+256 392 968 129
[email protected]
DIGITAL+
WIDESTAR DIGITAL (U) LTD
2nd floor Madhvani Building, Plot 99/101, Buganda Rd, P.O Box 23725, Kampala
+256 750 80 2910,
+256 392 968 129
[email protected]
WISDIGI
MAC VIVA GLOBAL HOLDINGS LTD
Seeta Plaza, Jinja Rd, Seeta trading Centre, Mukono Municipality, P.O Box 4023, Kampala, Uganda
+256 779 111 365
[email protected]
BEST-DIGITAL HD
BIT TECHNOLOGIES (U) LTD
Aggrey House Building, Plot 84 Kinawataka Road, Kireka,
P.O Box 74504, Kampala, Uganda
+256 706 600 218
+256 783 000 753
[email protected]
HDMISAT
URI TRADING COMPANY
Plot 680, Kyaliwajjala
Kampala
Mr. Moses Mugulo
0783432330
Mr. Abraham
0782085381
[email protected]
[email protected]
DIGITAL LIFE TV
GREEN POWER SOLUTIONS
Shop F1-8, Nalubwama Arcade
Plot 27, Ben Kiwanuka Street
0701 831 889
0781 702 221
Mr. Abdul Mbabazi
0701831889, 0781702221
[email protected]
0701 831 889
0781 702 221
GREEN POWER
SPACE DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY LTDP.O Box 70679,
KAMPALA, UGANDA
Mr. Talemwa Edwin
0752 522 424
0752 949 738
SPACE DIGITAL
ROISE DE CLASSE (U) LTD.
Bbunga Ggaba Rd,
Tel: 0782 511 033,
Tel: 0701 126 713
EUROSTAR
VISUAL CONSULTS (U) LTD
Yamaha Centre, shop no. LC50
+256 700 107 516
[email protected]
SMASH (T2 603)
VISUAL CONSULTS (U) LTD
Yamaha Centre, shop no. LC50
+256 700 107 516
[email protected]
SMASH (T2/S2)
ICOMSYS AFRICA LTD.
UMA Show Ground - Lugogo Opp. UMA Head Office
P.O.Box 4650
Kampala,Uganda
+256 784 445 063
[email protected]
GOSPELL (GTR-GN1346)
ICOMSYS AFRICA LTD.
UMA Show Ground - Lugogo Opp. UMA Head Office
P.O.Box 4650
Kampala,Uganda
+256 784 445 063
[email protected]
GOSPELL (GN1349A)
BRIVID UGANDA LTD.
Oasis Mall Basement, P.O Box 23101, Kampala
+256 758 882 211
[email protected]
DIMILA
TRANS-AFRICAN CONTAINER TRANSPORT LTD
P.O. Box 40292, KAMPALA
T: +256-39-2966303
F: +250-503436
+256 702 510133
+250 788 301110
+250 788 352997
[email protected]
TACT
EWORLD TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED
Colline House – Opp Nic house.
Pilkington Road.
P.O Box 12031, KAMPALA
+254 20 2582964
+254 724 799755
[email protected]
[email protected]
HBOX
KAGADI TECHNICAL SERVICES
P.O Box 5998, Kampala
+256 772 881715 ,
+256 779 032674,
+256 772 580055
[email protected]
KADET
KAGADI TECHNICAL SERVICES
[email protected]
TV-WALKER

Price of Free-to-air decoder in Uganda

Widestar Digital (U) Ltd, one of the approved vendors has Free-to-air decoders going for a price of UGX 165,000 and includes outdoor antenna. Brivid Uganda Ltd located at Oasis Mall Basement is selling their decoders at a slightly higher price of Ugx 180,000. Startimes Light decoder also gives you access to Free-to-air channels and goes for a price of only UGX 80,000. Those who get the Light decoder will have to pay an additional UGX 41,500 which entitles them to up to 7 months of digital TV on the Nova bouquet or package. However, should their subscription expire, they can still access Free-to-air channels.

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7 thoughts on “Digital TV Migration Uganda: Here’s a complete list of Free-To-Air channels and decoder vendors

  1. if may free to air fails to catch up with some of the local channels what can i do?

  2. Wen should we such decoders in mbale?Coz with multichoice are never clear on the pricing. Yes, is the I abandoned dstv with many channels , most of them with repeated programmes.ie wild Geo, Mtv base, Sony max, style network,(scrapped,) supersport select 1&2, ESPN classic etc

    • The reason is that you might be using startimes decoder which is not an FTA box which means that whenever your subscription is over you remain with UBC only . but since i bought an FTA decoder I can get all the channels listed for free.

  3. Mugume Frank. Nakasongola I humbly request UCC to give us FTA service DSS KU Band not only DTT. Reason, because DTT service it helps peoples near Kampala and the towns where theirs Busters. But DSS KU Band will help all of us.

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