When CanalBox launched its fibre internet services in Uganda in July 2024, the only major downside early customers encountered was poor customer service. Many users willingly overlooked this flaw in exchange for affordable and stable internet speeds. However, by early 2026, CanalBox’s internet speeds deteriorated as well, with occasional outages escalating into weeks of downtime.

Because official customer support remained radio silent, the ground team (marketing) began advising frustrated customers to switch to a new router that the ISP is currently issuing to new customers. Seeing I once reviewed CanalBox, I figured a follow-up on its “magic” router wouldn’t hurt. So, I ordered one.

What You Need to Know About the New CanalBox Router
To avoid losing money, you should upgrade to the new CanalBox router when your current subscription expires. The replacement requires a completely new user account, and you’ll need to set up your Wi-Fi network and password again.

New CanalBox Router vs the Old One (Noticeable Differences)

While both routers share identical Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) capabilities, the old CanalBox router from Nokia actually delivers a better Wi-Fi signal range, likely due to its higher power consumption. But let’s be honest, most users are only here for speed.

Is the New CanalBox Router Worth It?
Well, considering the new router is free and only requires a new subscription, there is no risk; go for it. However, if you are still sceptical, here is my review based on 10 days of use by myself and other users I could reach.

Internet Speed
The new CanalBox router is no miracle worker! Internet speed largely still depends on what the service provider delivers at that moment. It’s also not ideal to judge speed on the first day, as slower performance is common during initial setup.

Power Cuts & Reboot Time
One of the biggest frustrations with the old black CanalBox router is that when power goes off, it restarts even if a power bank is connected, taking close to 3 minutes to reconnect. It gets worse when UEDCL toggles power every 30 minutes.

In contrast, the new CanalBox router is not affected by power cuts. Internet access remains uninterrupted as long as the device is powered through a power bank. When you restart it, the new CanalBox router boots up in about 1 minute for both bands.

Finally, the new CanalBox router consumes roughly half the power of the old one. This lower power consumption gives CanalBox customers using power banks longer usage times. For instance, my backup runtime increased from 10 hours on the old router to about 18 hours on the new one with the same number of devices connected. Keeping all factors constant, the new router can run on a single Yaka unit (1 kWh) for 83.3 hours, whereas the old router would deplete that same unit in just 41.6 hours.

According to online reviews, the new router model is purpose-built for fixed ISP use.

And there you have it; no magic fix for slow internet, but a worthwhile upgrade. Plus, with no extra cost, what is there to lose?