Zambia to invite a fourth mobile phone service operator.

By John Chola 15/10/2012 World mobile phone operators will soon compete for a fourth operating licence in Zambia. The Zambian government says it has since revoked a statutory instrument issued by the previous government that banned entry onto the market a fourth mobile phone operator. Currently there are only three mobile phone operators in Zambia namely MTN, Airtel and Zamtel. Zambia, a Southern African country, has a population of 13 million. Experts say the Zambian mobile phone market has registered significant growth with the three mobile phone operators boasting of over 34.1 percent total subscribers. Zambia’s Minister of Communications Christopher Yaluma revealed Tuesday when he toured Airtel operations that government has commenced feasibility studies to pave way for the fourth mobile operator into the country’s mobile phone sector. For some time now the three mobile phone operators cried the country was not ready to accommodate another mobile operator. They demanded that government first allows them to be full-fledged before allowing another operator. However, lately many mobile phone subscribers have complained of being subjected to poor but expensive mobile phone services. The subscribers have been calling on the government through the national regulator, Zambia Information and Communications Technology Agency (ZICTA), to be firm and ensure that mobile operators in the country improve their services. Vodacom of South Africa had earlier indicated desire to invest in the Southern Africa country but was blocked from doing so through legal battles by competitors currently operating in the country Ends…..//