ZICTA should consider fourth mobile provider – CUTS

BUUMBA CHIMBULU writes THE Zambia Information and Communications Technology Authority (ZICTA) should open another bidding process to allow a fourth mobile service provider enter the telecommunications market. This follows the failure of mobile network operator (MNO) Unitel/Uzi Zambia’s to enter into the market, says Consumer Unity and Trust Society (CUTS) Researcher, Aquila Ng’onga. Mr Ng’onga said in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic, there had been an increasing reliance on online platforms and digital solutions in an effort to promote social distancing.  He said most consumers in Zambia (over 7 Million) accessed internet through mobile broadband services via a mobile phone while only less than 2.7 percent of consumers accessed internet through other means as fixed internet services.  This, Mr Ng’onga said in a statement, therefore highlighted the importance of a competitive mobile network sector to ensure that consumers were able to get data at the best possible price. “The entry of Unitel/Uzi Zambia into the mobile sector would have been beneficial for consumers by providing them with choice, the possibility of better-quality service, and the provision of better prices. “We therefore urge ZICTA to open another bidding process to allow another company to enter the market,” Mr Ng’onga said. Mr Ng’onga said CUTS was disappointed by the failure of mobile network operator (MNO) Unitel/Uzi Zambia’s to enter into the market. He urged mobile network operators to provide quality service delivery.  Mr Ng’onga said this should be done to ensure that all students and employees were connected during the Covid-19 time. He observed the need for mobile service providers to consider reducing data prices and zero rate relevant websites for educational purposes to support low-income households not only during the pandemic but even afterwards.  He also urge the Government to take steps to addressing the digital gap by increasing access in rural areas in response to the low internet penetration rate that unfairly disadvantaged learners, businesses and individuals located there. “To allow consumers make well-informed decisions during this time of increased dependency on mobile phone data services, we have compared the data pricing mechanisms of the three main mobile network operators: MTN, Airtel and Zamtel. “Our observations show that Airtel and MTN seem to have a similar pricing mechanism around their daily, weekly and monthly data bundles and are higher than Zamtel’s,” Mr Ng’onga said. The Sun