Once again, the Ministry of Communications and Transport of Zambia, through the Information and Communication Technology Regulatory Authority (ZICTA), has extended the license for investment by the new Zambian mobile operator, UZI Zambia Mobile Limited. It now runs until May 2020.

However, it was in the first quarter of 2019 that the telecoms company announced its commercial launch. A launch which was also out of step with the initial date of November 2018 planned by the company.

According to Patrick Mutimishi, the general manager of ZICTA, this umpteenth extension of the license of UZI Mobile Limited aims to help the telecoms company to secure the financial resources and other logistical means it needs for its effective deployment. on the national territory.

When acquiring its telecom license in March 2018, the subsidiary of Unitel International Holdings BV, majority owned by Angolan businesswoman Isabelle dos Santos, committed to investing $ 350 million in its activities and create 450 direct jobs.

The entry of the new telecom operator on the Zambian market should help to boost competition, even more, through a fall in prices and an improvement in the quality of services. In any case, this is what the telecoms regulator wants, which sees a status quo between MTN, Airtel and Zamtel. The three telecom companies are competing for a market of 17.22 million consumers in 2019.

Source: Agency Ecofin