Bharti Airtel to invest $100 million in Zain Uganda: Report

Bharti Airtel, the largest Indian mobile phone operator by subscriber base plans to invest up to $100 million in Uganda over the next two years, according to a report in Uganda's The New Vision newspaper.

The sate-owned daily today quoted Manoj Kohli, the joint-managing director as saying that part of the $100 million investment would go towards network expansion, distribution, infrastructure and broadband extension.

The company recently concluded a $9-billion takeover of Kuwait-based Mobile Telecommunications' Zain Africa assets in 15 African countries.

The paper quoted Kohli as saying the company is a follower in the market today but the time was not far when it would be the leader.

''The first plan is to drive the network into rural areas and the next one is affordability through infrastructure sharing and reduction of interconnection rates,'' Kohli told the newspaper.

According to Yesse Oenga, chief executive officer of Zain Uganda, the entry of Airtel would positively impact the country and the industry.