Zed mobile’s fall puts poor telecom services under spotlight

Sakala, however, expressed disappointment over the cancellation, saying Zambia still needs locally owned network providers that can increase competition in the telecommunications sector.

He urged existing operators to improve their services and respond to consumer concerns to avoid facing similar regulatory action.

Sakala also said locally owned companies need adequate infrastructure and support to compete effectively with long-established operators.

“Government should back and support Zambian-owned companies. Foreign-owned companies have a level of backing that most Zambian companies lack,” he said.

Meanwhile, Mobile Money Business Association president Pamfred Hasweeka described the cancellation as unfortunate, saying many consumers had hoped Zed Mobile would provide stronger competition and better services.

“Competition is good because it benefits the consumers,” he said.

Hasweeka said some players in the telecommunications sector had not done enough to meet the needs of Zambian consumers, adding that Zed Mobile was viewed as an opportunity to address some of the weaknesses among existing operators.

He, however, said Zed Mobile could have done more in responding to consumer complaints, particularly concerns surrounding the quality of its network and services.

“Their quality of service has also negatively impacted them as far as the regulator is concerned. The duty of the regulator is to protect the consumer,” he said.

Hasweeka has since called on ZICTA to extend punitive action to other mobile service providers where necessary and raise the standards for operators to ensure improved service quality.

The cancellation of Zed Mobile’s license therefore raises a bigger question for the telecommunications sector: will ZICTA’s action push existing mobile network providers to take complaints over poor services more seriously, or will another operator have to be made an example of before consumers finally see meaningful improvements?

Article by Karen Ngulube