For long many customers requested MTN Uganda for an unlimited internet bundle which seemed not to be coming till recently. MTN Uganda has finally created an unlimited internet plan for their customers to enjoy. There have been numerous debates on what qualifies to be unlimited and what doesn’t.
We got the MTN Uganda unlimited bundle and took it for test run to see just how far it can stretch. After one month, we now bring your our experiences in a review of the service.
MTN Uganda unlimited internet bundles
There are basically 3 unlimited plans; Night, Basic and Premium. All 3 have a validity of 30 days but vary in cost, volume and speeds.
| MTN Uganda unlimited internet bundles | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Package | Availability | Price(UGX) | Validity |
| MTN Unlimited Internet – Premium | All day, all night | 330,000 | 30 days |
| MTN Unlimited Internet – Basic | All day, all night | 179,000 | 30 days |
| MTN Unlimited Internet – Night | Midnight – 6am | 99,000 | 30 days |
MTN Uganda Unlimited internet Speeds
Just so it is clear, MTN Uganda gives between 1-3GB per day throttling your speeds to 256kbps when you exceed the allocated threshold as the Fair Usage Policy (FUP)
| MTN Uganda unlimited internet bundles speeds and caps | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unlimited Package | Speed before cap | Caping data limit | Speed after cap | Speed cap period |
| Premium | 2Mbps | 3GB | 256Kbps | Till 6am |
| Basic | 2Mbps | 1GB | 256Kbps | Till 6am |
| Night | 2Mbps | 3GB | 256Kbps | Till 6am |
Our experience with the MTN Uganda’s Unlimited
Family Entertainment
With a smart TV and a chrome cast, streaming family entertainment is easy until you get the data bill. This is because many programs will be streamed in high definition (HD) which consumes more data than the standard definition. With MTN Unlimited, we were able to stream full movies, series and lots of YouTube and Kids programming without having to worry about the data getting finished.
Also all our programs played straight up without buffering and lag caused by slow speeds or no data. This really made for a good experience when it came to home/family entertainment.
Connected Home
After the entertainment, we had multiple devices hooked onto the unlimited internet. We had 3 smartphones a tablet, a laptop + smart TV connected and we all enjoyed worry free fast internet on all devices.
Speeds + Reliability
I personally would have wanted the speeds to be higher. Since this is not a dedicated connection it means that we share the network. Depending on the time and place, your speeds may dwindle and your connection may go from 4G to 2G. We experienced speeds of up to 2mbps most the time while sometimes we hit just 500kbps. All these tests were mainly around Kampala, Wakiso and Mukono.
This will not be good news for speedsters but the consolation is you stay connected. The reason I choose to reject the consolation though is that with MTN’s hefty investment in infrastructure, I expect a bigger 4G and 3G footprint with speeds above the given 3mbps at an affordable price. That notwithstanding, the experience is good enough
Final Thoughts
If you are mobile and are moving around Uganda from one district to another for work or pleasure, MTN’s unlimited will keep you connected though the speeds will vary depending on location. The 256kbps speeds that occur after you exhaust the 3GB cannot get anything done let alone keep someone connected fortunately the counter is reset everyday at midnight and you have your 3GB quota for the day.
Who would MTN Uganda Unlimited Internet work for
- Small Business/SME, Entrepreneur with average internet needs of between 1-3GB daily
- Perfect for home to connect multiple devices keeping the whole family connected. Best for family entertainment and working from home.
- The geek/developer who is nocturnal like an owl who needs a good internet connection for work at an affordable fee.
How to subscribe for MTN Uganda Unlimited Internet
- You can use airtime from your smartphone or any other data device by doing any of the following:
Dial *150*55#OK and following the prompts, or
Dial *160#OK and follow the prompts, or - Using the MyMTN app
- You can also get the Unlimited packages through your Mobile Money account:
Dial *165#OK select option 7 to buy bundles and follow the prompts, or
Dial *150*55# and follow the prompts to select Mobile Money payment option, or - Visit any MTN Service center or call Customer Care
- Call customer service on 100 (for MTN customers), 0771001000 for customers on other networks.
- MTN Business Customers can contact their account managers for scheduled activations to multiple numbers using the MTN Business Bulk Activation service for businesses.
Unlimited Internet in Uganda Compared
When it comes to unlimited internet in Uganda, there are 2 giants at the moment; Smile and MTN. Vodafone use to have unlimited which it later scrapped off. Africell has an unlimited plan which unfortunately has not been upgraded since the days of Orange so we shall not consider it for purposes of this comparison. Smart, Airtel, Tangerine all do not have unlimited data plans
| Network | Package | Volume | Validity | Speed | Terms | Price (Ugx) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MTN | Unlimited Premium | 90GB | 30 days | 2mbps | 3GB per day | 330000 |
| MTN | Unlimited Basic | 30GB | 30 days | 2mbps | 1GB per day | 179000 |
| MTN | Unlimited Night | 90GB | 30 days | 2mbps | 3GB 12am-6pm | 99000 |
| Smile | Unlimited Platinum | 120GB | 30 days | 6mbps | Free from 12am-6pm | 550000 |
| Smile | Unlimited Premium | 75GB | 30 days | 6mbps | Free from 12am-6pm | 330000 |
| Smile | Unlimited Essential | 25GB | 30 days | 2mbps | 90GB free from 12am-6pm | 179000 |
What we liked
- Consistent speeds of between 1-2mbps
- Wider Coverage
- Worked well with multiple devices/users connected
What we didn’t like
- Speeds vary a lot depending on where you are. Some times in remote locations we had a not so good 3G connection
- 3GB per day is little for a high end user and for that price, it should be more
- When throttled, 256kbps is useless in keeping anyone connected
- Cost is still hefty for the ordinary internet user