NITA launches free wireless internet in Soroti City
SOROTI– In order to transform public service delivery, in Teso Sub-region using Information Communication Technology [ICT], the National Information Technology Authority [ NITA Uganda] has commissioned free wireless internet in Soroti City, under Regional Communication Infrastructure Program [RCIP] funded by World Bank.
NITA-Uganda is an autonomous statutory body established underact 2009 to coordinate and regulate Information and Technology services in Uganda and is under the supervision of the Ministry of ICT and National Guidance.
The data center branch was on Tuesday launched by the Minister of State for Works Musa Francis Ecweru, on behalf of Vice President Jessica Alupo Epel.
The executive director NITA Uganda Dr. Hatwib Mugasa, said the Tier-3 data center will house all government ICT applications, thereby saving taxpayers money and avoiding duplication and wastage of resources.
“Soroti City and Soroti district now have the capacity to host all government application and data locally and centrally to improve security, cost, and boost efficiency,” he said.
Dr. Mugasa, added that the free wireless internet connectivity at the main market will unlock opportunities for women who constitute the largest number of occupants.
He said that the data center with 5 transmission sites and 90 sites connected and 17 Wi-Fi Hotspots has key features to enable time of up to 99.8 percent with less than 1.6 hours of download time per year.
According to Mugasa, this leads to increased efficiency and effectiveness for government applications which improves service delivery.
“With the cloud data center, the government instructions can now concentrate on their core functions of delivering services to citizens without worrying about the availability and sustainability of the underlying infrastructure,” explained Mugasa.
The Soroti Resident City Commissioner [RCC] Peter Pex Paak said with the launched cloud data center with capacity to host all Government systems, applications, and data among others, the citizens can now enjoy the fruits of the infrastructure through services like UGhub that enables them to receive government services without necessarily physically visiting government offices.
“People have been filing multiple documents just to get government services but will the existence of cloud data center, there will be no more need for them to fill out multiple documents just to get a government service or make multiple visits to an office to follow up a service request,” said Paak.
Meanwhile, Vice President Jessica Alupo Epel in her inaugural speech delivered by Minister Ecweru, hailed the World Bank, the Ministry of ICT and National Guidance, and NITA-Uganda for making UGhub a reality.
She said “UGhub is one of the most strategic and important government-wide digital projects that will be the backbone for service delivery in the country and but also make life easier for the citizens.
NITA-Uganda came into force in 2012/13 when the Cabinet approved the national strategy to rationalize the use of ICT services within government in order to reduce duplication and wasteful expenditures on ICT software and infrastructure.
To date, systems and applications from over 13 pilot government Ministries have been integrated onto UGhub. This is in addition to most banks and financial institutions.
Under RCIP, 17 public Wi-Fi Hotspots have been established in Teso Sub-region and this has enabled a number of people to have access to internet connectivity.
Among them include Soroti Main Market, Soroti Regional Referral Hospital, Post Bank Soroti branch, Uganda Revenue Authority Office Soroti branch Katakwi district local government, and the office of the Auditor General Soroti.
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