The Zambia Information Communication and Technology authority –ZICTA has denied assertions that the regulator has abolished penalizing mobile service operators following public complaints that mobile network connectivity and quality of service has continued to deteriorate across the country.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with the Zambian Business Times – ZBT – ZICTA corporate communications Manager Hanford Chaaba said penalizing mobile operators can only be done after a report is generated that shows that the poor quality of service do not meet the requirements.
ZICTA corporate communications Manager disclosed that the authority is actively engaging the mobile network operators at each and every stage to see how best the service can be improved. He said ZICTA is working together with mobile operators in doing the drive test and drive around and see the findings together.
He said one of the parameters ZICTA uses to measure quality of service, is that a normal call should not take more than 10 seconds to connect to the other user and the moment it exceeds it becomes poor quality of service.
ZICTA corporate communications Manager said it becomes a source of concern to the authority when consumers are not enjoying the services that they are supposed to. Chaaba noted the network has not been good since mid-last year adding that the mobile providers are attributing it to the network upgrade.
He said ZICTA as a regulator has managed to buy equipment which will help in mitigating and monitoring the quality of services provided. Chaaba said ZICTA is however hopeful that that with the new equipment, the issue of poor quality will help in addressing issues to do with quality of service.He said the equipment will pin point actual areas where there is poor quality of service to district level.
ZICTA has not issued any penalties to erring mobile networks despite the public outcry and complaints that the networks are now congested and making inter network calls is even becoming more and more difficult. It’s like the networks are blocking each other but this is affecting business and social communication adversely.
