The Zambia Information and Communications Technology Authority – ZICTA’s failure to bring a fourth mobile operator into the market within the expected timeframe has raised anxieties among consumers eager for more options and competitive pricing.
The Zambia Consumers Association – ZACA – has expressed concerns over ZICTA’s inability to bring Beeline Telecom trading as Zedmobile a fourth mobile operator into action stating that the lack of competition in the mobile telecommunications sector is detrimental to the industry and the consumers.
There have been also some allegations indicating that the Company ZEDMobile has failed to commence operations as they do not have the muscle to fund the project.
Efforts to however get a position from ZICTA, Beeline, and the Ministry of Science and Technology who were also part of the launch in 2022, have proved difficult as both the Ministry and ZICTA are directing all queries to Beeline. Questions have however arisen as to why ZICTA is unable to cancel the license when the promoters have failed to commence operations even after several extensions.
Further efforts to get a position from the promoter themselves (Beeline Telecom) have also proved futile on several occasions.
The Zambia Information and Communications Technology Authority – ZICTA – granted Beeline Telecom a license to commence operations in February 2021 but the timeline was later extended to June 2022. In November last year, the Authority said the telecommunication company was expected to commence operations on January 31, 2023, but to this day, that has not materialized.
Beeline Telecom trading as Zedmobile declined to comment on allegations that they failed to launch operations within the given timeframe, breaching licensing guidelines.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with the Zambian Business Times – ZBT, ZACA Executive Director Juba Sakala said, “The delay to commence operations is a worrying issue because we did not expect this to prolong as we were very optimistic with a lot of confidence in them but now that it has taken the time it is very worrying.”
Sakala said it is important that ZICTA and the promoter give consumers an update if they have failed or not. “We were all hoping that after launching in December 2022, the company would commence operations in July 2023 as expected.”
Sakala added, “It’s now September going to October and nothing has happened, it’s Therefore it is important that the government should probe Beeline and find out what exactly is happening so that consumers can end speculations.”
