Uganda: SIP providers and connecting a number to the PBX

We do not issue numbers: the venue buys a Ugandan number from a provider and brings it into its own PBX over a trunk. Everything that is the same in any country — trunk modes, form fields, network requirements and the connectivity test — is covered in the overview “Connecting a provider's number to the PBX”. This page covers only the Ugandan part: where to buy a number, what to enter in the admin panel, and what people trip over in this country.

The data was collected on 10 September 2026 from provider websites and documents of the regulator, UCC; the links are in the “Sources” section.

In brief#

• You can buy a trunk for your own PBX in Uganda: the licence is required from whoever sells the service, not from the venue. UCC licenses operators and service providers (NTO, PIP, PSP), while a corporate PBX falls under the general authorisation for private networks — “network facilities for the sole use of members of the owning body, not providing network services for commercial gain”. Buy the trunk from an NTO or PSP licence holder.
• The country's main quirk: not a single provider publishes trunk parameters. No host, no port, no codecs, no format of the number in an incoming call — nothing appears on any Ugandan page, not even MTN's, which does have a “SIP Trunk” product page but a purely explanatory one. The real values arrive in the work order or the provisioning email, so the tables below show what will end up in which field, not ready-made addresses.
• The only provider with a published procedure for connecting a third-party PBX is Africa's Talking: apply for a voice phone number → sign a KYC document → pay for the number → “share your trunk's (PBX) IP address for whitelisting” → set the number's callback URL to trunk:<your IP>. That is authorisation by IP, and we support it.
• The second question to ask any local operator before paying: will you accept a PBX address in the cloud? MTN describes the service as “a data connection straight to your IP-PBX” and sizes the bandwidth at signing — the product assumes a PBX on the customer's premises behind the same operator's link. The only wording that explicitly allows an off-premises PBX is Liquid's: “connect your onsite or hosted PBX”.
• There is no number portability in Uganda. Parliament demanded that mobile number portability be implemented in 2025, but as of 10.09.2026 it has not launched: you cannot change operator and keep the number, and “moving the trunk” means a new number. Choosing a provider is almost irreversible for a venue.
• The number has nine digits, while a line is matched by the last seven. The series code never makes it into the match: 0771 234 567 and 0761 234 567 produce the same tail 1234567.

Numbers in the country#

The country code is +256. The national dialling prefix is 0, the international prefix is 000. The national number (N(S)N) is 9 digits for every type of number.

• The UCC numbering plan is not published openly on the regulator's site — the documents section only covers short codes. The formats above were compiled from consolidated data as of 10.09.2026, so confirm the length and the shape of your own number with the provider when ordering.
• No Ugandan provider publishes the format the number arrives in on an incoming call. Be ready for any of three variants: nine national digits (414236000), the international format (+256414236000), or the trunk login instead of the number. On the first connection, look at the SIP trace to see what the provider sends, and only then create the lines.
• The seven-digit tail. A line is matched by the last seven digits, and the number has nine — the first two are always lost. Mobile numbers from different series of the same operator (771234567 and 761234567) collide, as do landline 414236000 and 204236000. One number per venue is safe; with two or more, check the tails by hand.
• Codecs. Nobody publishes them, so ask explicitly: we need at least one of G.711 a-law, G.711 u-law, G.722. We do not have G.729.
• Emergency calls. In the UCC short-code plan the 110–119 and 900–999 ranges are reserved for emergency services, the single number being 999, which “must be common to all networks”; 112 is also dialled in the country, but we could not confirm that from a regulator's document. Emergency calls are not served through our PBX — keep an ordinary phone on shift, and do not let routing rules swallow short numbers with a prefix.

Who issues a number with a SIP trunk#

Below are cards for the two providers whose connection mode is at least known, then the operator that does have a trunk but delivers every credential in the work order. The full list of questions for the account manager is in “What to ask the provider”.

Africa's Talking — a Uganda number and an IP trunk#

An East African communications platform for businesses and developers. Uganda is on its list of countries where voice is available (alongside SMS, USSD, airtime and payments), and the Uganda voice tariff has its own help-centre article — the figures are in an attachment inside that article, so check the price there before ordering.

This is the only provider in the country that has published the procedure for connecting a third-party PBX. Its instructions require “a server”, and the steps are: apply for a voice phone number → sign a KYC document → pay for the number → “share your trunk's (PBX) IP address for whitelisting” → set the number's callback URL in the account to trunk:<address> → configure and test the PBX. That is authorisation by IP, and the dedicated PBX already has a static address: it is shown on the “Server” tab.

What to enter in the admin panel (Telephony → “Trunks and connections” → “Add provider”):

What to set up on the provider's side: order a Uganda voice number and sign the KYC document → pay for the number → give the static IP of your PBX from the “Server” tab for whitelisting → set the number's callback to trunk:<that IP> → ask by email for the gateway address, port and transport → request G.711 codecs → clarify the maximum number of simultaneous calls.

Pitfalls ⚠️

• The route is set on the number, not on the trunk. Every additional number you buy has to be switched to trunk:<IP> separately in the account, otherwise it receives no incoming calls even though the trunk “works”.
• The host, port and codecs are not documented. The values in the table are how an IP trunk normally behaves; take the final ones from the provisioning correspondence.
• Changing the PBX public address breaks the connection. When the dedicated machine is recreated, update the whitelist and the callback first, or incoming calls will disappear silently.

Source: Africa's Talking — What do I need to set up a SIP trunk connection and the list of countries and products — 10.09.2026.

Roke Telkom — a SIP trunk and the single "Classic Voice" line#

A Kampala operator (office in Bugolobi, Plot 67 Spring Road). Its voice section lists three products, two of which suit a venue:

• SIP Trunk Service — “flexible and low-cost voice network services for establishments with a PBX system already”, with “true per second billing”. In the request form the product is a separate item, ROKE SIP Trunk.
• Classic Voice — “a prepaid single line VOIP solution that allows you to make and receive calls using a VOIP handset or softphone, no installation fees or monthly fees, pay only for the calls you make”. Since a SIP account for a handset is issued, it can be entered into the PBX as a trunk with registration — but it is one line, that is one simultaneous conversation. Ask by email before ordering whether their terms allow it.

What to enter in the admin panel:

What to set up on the provider's side: name the product ROKE SIP Trunk and the number of channels in the form → ask about the mode (registration or whitelisting your address) and request the host, port and transport by email → find out whether their internet link is mandatory → request G.711 a-law/u-law and G.722 codecs → clarify whose numbers are issued (Roke's own range or a partner's) — that determines whose number you may put in “Show as”.

Pitfalls ⚠️

• The website has not been updated for a long time (2020 copyright), some pages in the voice section return “page not found”, and the pricing page shows only internet packages. Confirm the product line and prices by correspondence, not from the site.
• In the UCC licensee register as of 31.01.2026, Roke Telkom appears only as an infrastructure provider, and such a licence does not allow serving end consumers without a separate service-provider licence. That is a question for their lawyers at the contract stage: what matters to you is who holds your number.
• “Classic Voice” is a single line. For a call queue or several agents at once, take a full trunk.

Source: Roke Telkom — SIP Trunk Service and Classic Voice — 10.09.2026.

MTN Uganda — the largest network, trunk by contract#

The country's largest operator (national operator licence until 30.06.2032). The product is described as a stream replacement: “MTN SIP Trunking provides an alternative to PRI lines for your fixed line calls… you are able to eliminate PRI connections and rely on a data or internet connection straight to your IP-PBX”. Four more things are known from the official page: calls are “charged at local fixed line rates”; capacity is changed by configuration and limited only by bandwidth; there is automatic call rerouting to a predefined location or a mobile phone if the site goes offline; and the required bandwidth is determined at the time of signing up. It is separately stressed that the customer owns the IP-PBX and is free to route via other providers — so the “own PBX” model is welcomed by the operator.

There is deliberately no “what to enter” table here: MTN publishes neither host, nor port, nor transport, nor codecs, nor the authorisation mode — all of it comes with the provisioning work order. Substituting “typical” values is pointless.

What to ask before the contract: do you hand the trunk over the public internet to our static IP, or only over your own access link (for a cloud PBX the latter is a blocker) → registration or IP whitelisting, and which host, port and transport → is plain UDP or TCP without encryption available, since our PBX does not support TLS or SRTP on trunks → which codecs are allowed (we need at least one of G.711 a-law, G.711 u-law, G.722) → in what form the called number arrives → how many simultaneous calls are in the tariff and how the “local fixed line rate” is applied to calls to mobiles.

⚠️ The “SIP Trunking” link in the site's business section led to a non-existent page as of 10.09.2026 — the working product page lives in the help-for-business section. Do not read that as the product being discontinued: applications go through the corporate desk.

Source: MTN Uganda — SIP Trunk (Help for Business) — 10.09.2026.

Who else sells voice in the country#

International providers with Uganda numbers#

What is confirmed by provider documents as of 10.09.2026:

• Telnyx — the simplest route for a company without a Ugandan legal entity. Requirements differ by number type: local — an address in any country (street, building number, postal code, city and country) and minimal paperwork; national — an address in Uganda plus a utility bill less than 3 months old; toll-free — a passport or ID and a signed letter of intent less than a month old, or a company extract less than 3 months old. So a local +256 can be obtained without any presence in the country.
• DIDWW — the country page states plainly that local SIP trunking for Uganda is not available, only international termination. It does not sell +256 numbers, so the familiar aggregator will not work here.
• AstraQom — an international reseller with a dedicated Uganda shop window: local +256 numbers in Kampala, Entebbe, Jinja, Mbarara and Gulu, “carrier-grade voice trunks for any PBX”, with compatibility declared for Asterisk, FreePBX, 3CX, Avaya and Cisco. Prices are published: from USD 9 per channel per month, the Uganda starter package at USD 34 per month (then 60 and 87), number activation in 1–3 business days, and “toll-free and special numbers can require extra local KYC — we handle the paperwork”. ⚠️ The starter packages contain few channels, support is international only, and which Ugandan licensee holds the numbers is not disclosed.
• Global Call Forwarding — Ugandan toll-free numbers +256 800 XXX XXX from USD 43.95 per month plus minutes, routed “to your destination of choice, including a SIP trunk”, activated in 1–3 business days once documents are in.
• PBX.IM — claims geographic, national and toll-free Uganda numbers and a free trunk itself (“charges apply only for the calls”). ⚠️ Treat its country claims with care: the text of its Uganda page is mixed up with another country — it mentions the Chinese industry regulator and the “Chinese PSTN”. Verify everything in the account before paying, and demand plain SIP over UDP or TCP in writing: the service description stresses encryption, while TLS and SRTP do not work on our trunks.
• CommPeak, AVOXI, DIDLogic, FlyNumber — all four have “Uganda virtual numbers” pages; FlyNumber explicitly allows you to “use any 3rd party VoIP provider or your own PBX system (Asterisk, FreePBX, 3CX)”. Confirm the exact number type, availability and document requirements in the account or by email.
• Twilio, Zadarma, Bandwidth, Plivo, Sinch, Infobip — we could not confirm Uganda numbers in their public catalogues as of 10.09.2026. For outbound calls to Uganda they work as termination.

Trunk parameters at international providers are the same for every country and are described in the catalogue cards shown when adding a provider: for most it is registration with a login and password from the account, for some it is authorisation by IP.

⚠️ One general caveat: the number is issued through a local partner, and the venue has no direct relationship with a Ugandan operator — that matters if a dispute over the number arises.

Number porting#

• There is no number portability in Uganda. In March 2025 Parliament demanded that the regulator “urgently implement mobile number portability”, but as of 10.09.2026 there is no launch date, and the topic has been raised since the late 2000s. The practical conclusion: the number is tied to the operator, you cannot change provider and keep it, and “moving the trunk” means a new number. Choose the provider as if the choice were final — and print the number on the signage only once the trunk works.
• Promises of “porting in 2–4 weeks” from international providers (AstraQom, for instance) in a country without portability mean either porting within the same licensee or partner, or boilerplate wording. Do not plan a business process around it — ask in writing what exactly gets ported.
• Register the number to the company from the start. Corporate registration is mandatory when an organisation uses the number; a number registered to an employee leaves with them.
• ⚠️ Changing the PBX public address breaks a trunk authorised by IP. Warn the provider in advance when the dedicated machine is recreated.

Rules and documents#

If it does not work#

1. The operator says the trunk only runs over its own access link. That is how the MTN and Roke products are worded: they assume a PBX in the customer's office. Our dedicated PBX sits in the cloud, so ask about this before paying. If the answer is “only over our link”, take Africa's Talking, Liquid or an international aggregator.
2. The provider promises to encrypt voice or offers port 5061. That is TLS, and our PBX supports only UDP and TCP without encryption on trunks; there is no SRTP either. Ask for plain SIP on 5060; if the interconnect is encrypted-only, the pairing will not happen.
3. The IP trunk looks green but no calls come in. With Africa's Talking the route is set on the number: check that every number you bought has the callback trunk:<your PBX address> in the account rather than a web address. While you are there, verify that the IP you gave for whitelisting matches the value on the “Server” tab.
4. The call connects but there is silence. Usually a codec mismatch: Ugandan providers do not publish their sets, and G.729 shows up among them. Ask them to enable G.711 a-law/u-law explicitly on the trunk and make sure voice traffic is allowed to the PBX address.
5. Two numbers merged into one line. A line is matched by the last seven digits while the Ugandan number has nine: 0771 234 567 and 0761 234 567 share a tail. Pick numbers with different tails, or use one per venue.
6. The operator asks why the traffic goes to a foreign address. The “local numbers plus a cloud PBX” pattern looks from the outside like termination bypass, which the country treats harshly. Answer plainly: this is the venue's corporate PBX, the caller ID is not substituted, and the trunk is covered by a contract.

The general table of symptoms and causes is in the overview, section “If calls do not go through”, and the provider's address and port are verified with the “Test connection” button.

Frequently asked questions#

Can a Ugandan number be connected to your own PBX at all?#

Yes. UCC licenses whoever provides communication services, while a venue's corporate PBX falls under the general authorisation for private networks and needs no separate licence. The venue buys the number and the trunk from a licensed operator or service provider and terminates them on its own PBX.

Who should I go to first?#

If you need a local number and local billing, start with Africa's Talking: it is the only provider in the country with a published procedure for connecting a third-party PBX, and it works in a mode we understand — authorisation by IP. If you specifically need a major operator's number and a contract in local currency, go to MTN Uganda or Roke Telkom, both through the corporate desk. If you have no company in Uganda, take a local +256 from Telnyx.

Why does nobody publish a host and port?#

That is how the market works: Ugandan operators sell trunking as a corporate service under contract, and the credentials arrive in the provisioning work order. So do not look for “Uganda settings” on the internet — request the host, port, transport, authorisation mode, codecs and the format of the number on incoming calls by email, as listed in the overview.

Can I buy a +256 number without a company in Uganda?#

From a local operator, practically no: the contract is with a legal entity, and corporate registration of a number requires certified company documents and details of the directors. The working route is Telnyx (a local number is issued against an address in any country) or other international aggregators; there the number is held by a local partner.

Can I port my number to another provider?#

No. Number portability had not launched in Uganda as of 10.09.2026, although Parliament demanded it be implemented in 2025. Changing provider means changing the number, so choose the operator before the number reaches your signage, listings and advertising.

Do I need a static IP?#

Yes, and the dedicated PBX already has one — the value is shown on the “Server” tab. Africa's Talking asks for it in so many words for whitelisting, the others need it to route incoming calls. Even with ordinary registration the address is usually requested up front.

How long does connection take?#

An international number takes hours or days. Africa's Talking takes days: application, signing documents, paying for the number, whitelisting. A local operator takes weeks: a corporate contract, company documents, a work order and testing.

Sources#

• UCC — Description of Telecom Licenses and Authorisations (NTO, PIP, PSP categories, private network authorisation) — https://www.ucc.co.ug/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/DESCRIPTION-OF-TELECOM-LICENSES-AND-AUTHORISATIONS.pdf (10.09.2026)
• UCC — List of telecommunications operators as of 31st January 2026 (who is licensed and until when) — https://www.ucc.co.ug/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/LIST-OF-TELECOMS-LICENSED-AS-AT-31st-JANUARY-2026.pdf (10.09.2026)
• UCC — Short Codes (emergency number ranges, 999) — https://www.ucc.co.ug/short-codes/ (10.09.2026)
• Uganda Communications Act, 2013 — https://www.ucc.co.ug/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/UCC-Act-2013.pdf (10.09.2026)
• Data Protection and Privacy Act, 2019 (consent to data processing) — https://media.ulii.org/media/legislation/18002/source_file/b6ae5cce4290322a/2019-9.pdf (10.09.2026)
• Africa's Talking — What do I need to set up a SIP trunk connection — https://help.africastalking.com/en/articles/6049012-what-do-i-need-to-set-up-a-sip-trunk-connection (10.09.2026)
• Africa's Talking — Which countries are Africa's Talking products in — https://help.africastalking.com/en/articles/2727792-which-countries-are-africa-s-talking-products-in (10.09.2026)
• Africa's Talking — Voice Pricing Uganda — https://help.africastalking.com/en/articles/11532634-voice-pricing-uganda (10.09.2026)
• Roke Telkom — SIP Trunk Service — https://business.roketelkom.co.ug/voip/sip-trunk-service (10.09.2026)
• Roke Telkom — Classic Voice — https://business.roketelkom.co.ug/voip/classic-voice (10.09.2026)
• MTN Uganda — SIP Trunk (Help for Business) — https://www.mtn.co.ug/helpbusiness/sip-trunk/ (10.09.2026)
• UTel (UTCL) — E1 Postpaid Landline (PRI) — https://www.utcl.co.ug/e1-postpaid-landline-pri/ (10.09.2026)
• Liquid Intelligent Technologies — Unified Communications — https://liquid.tech/services/unified-communications/ (10.09.2026)
• Telnyx — Uganda DID Requirements — https://support.telnyx.com/en/articles/5467084-uganda-did-requirements (10.09.2026)
• DIDWW — SIP Trunking Services in Uganda (local numbers unavailable) — https://www.didww.com/voice/global-sip-trunking/Uganda (10.09.2026)
• AstraQom — Uganda SIP Trunks (packages and prices) — https://www.astraqom.com/ug/uganda-sip-trunks/ (10.09.2026)
• Global Call Forwarding — Uganda Toll-Free Numbers — https://www.globalcallforwarding.com/services/toll-free-numbers/uganda-toll-free-numbers/ (10.09.2026)
• PBX.IM — SIP Trunking Provider in Uganda — https://www.pbx.im/services/sip-trunking-provider/ug (10.09.2026)
• FlyNumber — Uganda virtual phone number — https://www.flynumber.com/products/virtual-phone-number/uganda (10.09.2026)

Related sections#

• Connecting a provider's number to the PBX — the common steps, trunk modes, network, connectivity test.
• Setting up SIP phones — how to connect desk phones, DECT and gateways to extensions.