SECTOR 2 Radio With over 90% penetration across the country, radio is the most widely accessible media platform, as one does not need to rely on the power grid to access it. Radio can also be accessed on many mobile phones, and with a mobile phone penetration of over 15 million registered users, this is a highly accessed medium. Over 300 radio stations are registered nationwide, with the UCC noting in its 2015 third quarter (Q3) report that 292 FM stations were operational (and 12 stations non-operational). Many of these stations are restricted to certain geographical areas, as they “can’t go beyond their defined coverage area because many of them have the same frequency modulation number.” Internet Most newspapers now have websites, which are being increasingly utilised for news by those with access to it, rather than hard copies of the paper. According to the UCC, the internet penetration in Uganda stands at 37.4% (i.e. over 13 million internet users in Uganda), with many of these accessing the internet at internet cafes. With increasing access to smartphones (mobile internet subscription stood at close to 6.5 million in the third (Q3) quarter of 2015), more people are accessing various media – particularly social media such as Facebook and Twitter. Accordingly, telecommunications providers are shifting their focus primarily to data sales; it must however be noted that data signals are not very strong outside of urban centres. Scores: Individual scores: 1 Country does not meet indicator 2 Country meets only a few aspects of indicator 3 Country meets some aspects of indicator 4 Country meets most aspects of indicator 5 Country meets all aspects of the indicator Average score: 34 AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER UGANDA 2016 3.1 (2012 = 3.2; 2010 = 2.3; 2007 = 2.6)