By Michael Malakata , IDG News Service , 08/11/2008
Mobile telecom company Zain Zambia has refused to launch a borderless network in Zambia because the Zambian government has refused to deregulate the country’s international gateway.
Zambia won’t benefit from the service that has already been launched in many countries in Africa and the Middle East because of lack of open access to the international gateway, Zain Zambia Managing Director David Venn said in Lusaka last week.
The borderless network, dubbed “One Network,” allows subscribers to call any country where the service is available at local rates with no roaming charges. The international issue has been a bone of contention for more than five years between the Zambian government and private mobile service providers. Only the Zambia Telecommunication Company (Zamtel), a government-run communication company providing both fixed and mobile services, is allowed to operate an international gateway.
The Zambian government says its policy is grounded in national security concerns. The Zambian government monitors all international calls made through Zamtel, and Zain and the other private operator, Mobile Telecommunication Network (MTN), have to route their international calls through the telco.
Zamtel has exclusive rights to the Mwembeshi Earth Station satellite and collects revenue from the private service providers using the satellite’s facilities, including the international gateway.
Zain wants the Zambian government to provide licenses to private operators to own and operate their own international gateways, and blames the current policy for the high cost of telecommunication and the lack of investment in the mobile market, especially in rural areas.
[IDG NEWS Service]
zamtel should keep the international gateway. I don’t trust zain. Osama Bin Ladin has been operating from Saudi Arabia and is still in contact with his followers there using zain network.
security is of importance to us.
Besides security I dont trust these alliens coming to our country. I hope the govrnment could take a similar stand with our land acquization laws. Just in case you are not aware, the Zambian land laws dont distinguish between a Zambian and an allien. People are rushing into Zambia from everywhere to buy land is key areas. If we are not careful we might find ourselves in a Zimbabwe situation. Where all key land will belong to non-Zambians.
Coming back to the cell phone issue, I am the Zamtel side for now.
1. If what you are saying about Osama is true and not just some blog trash, then i wpould rather be a subsriber with Zain for they are truly independent of the American and Britain influence. Osama has every right to attack America and Britain just as they have the right to attack Iraq for no major concrete reason. So Zain keep it up as we are tired of all those who are cowards and can not stand up against the slavers.
What security? It is just the revenue side of things becuase communication is not just voice but also data in this technological era! So who monitors the data communication between people on the internet, also think about VoIP, how many internet users are now using this form of communication and who monitors?
kafudisha, don’t be fooled into believing that no one monitors communications because of internet or voip.
There is no need to trust Zain. These guys are tricksters. Remember, the former Celtel saga.. with their much publisized shares and how they were enticing us to buy shares. Can someone tell the nations what has happened to those shares. They swindled alot of Zambians into believing Celtel will be around.
The truth is that Zain is not the same as Celtel. Zain is a completely new cell phone company. Birds of the same feathers. Thats what even Shoprite wanted to do, they were to come back as different company after taking the loot. Can Hon Mutati shed more light.
The chaps are just after making money for the next 5 years and they shall be gone….we really need to protect our small mother land…Arabs can’t be trusted..
How many Zambians will use this service anyway? How many Zambians travel and need to keep their number?
It is the same technology that is making the earth unsafe. From Zamcell to Celtel then to Zain. After Zain what next? Every company try to change the trading name every 5 years to enjoy tax rebete.The Govornment should not allow any company to just change the name in the name of new share holders.
ZAIN was and is still the major share holder in both the former CELTEL and ZAIN, let me be corrected from those who understand shareholding ISSUES!!!
At the ZAIN website there is information on the CELTEL/ZAIN shares.
Just because a company changes its name does not mean those who bought shares from the company when it was using the old name lose out on their investment. Companies change their names all the time (e.g From “Lever Brothers LTD” to “Unilever South East Africa LTD”) .
The people who bought “CELTEL” shares are now holding “ZAIN ZAMBIA” shares.
Correct me if I am wrong.
You are quite correct hence there should be no unncessary worries over ARABS as they were alreday in CELTEL as major shareholders!!!
Please provide the address of the Zain website
ZAIN ZAMBIA WEBSITE
http : / / zm . zain . com / en /
[REMOVE SPACES]
#4 Are you in IT? All voice,internet,voip,routers are directed thru zamtel and any network provider pass thru zamtel thru the SYSTEM which is called E1. The communication authourity of zambia have the same.so for security reason Govenment is got a point.My dear friend there’s a gateway record,so don’t comfuse yourself.
Thanks for the address
The Question is which Country does not monitor mails? and why should it be an ISSUE for Zambia, That is unless one is conducting clandestine activities
security is not the issue at hand and we all know that its just zamtel which wants to protect its intrest. information can still be monitored through zain gateway. its very expensive to make an international call outside zambia but very cheap from outside zambia just because of the so called security.
Then why can`t zamtel then provide very cheap international calls if the government has the intrest of the zambian people at heart.
what we need to know is how those countries with one network are controlling thier gateaway system or whatever you call it without compromising thier national security. for now, security first. whats the demand for the one network thing anyway? how is it going to contribute to our development?
ZAMBIANS YOU ARE INDEED BACKWARD AND *****IC. NORMAL PEOPLE WOULD NEVER AQUISCIENT TO HAVING THEIR PRIVATE COMMUNICATION MONITORED BY THE GOVERNMENT. FOOLISH STUPID ZAMBIANS. YOU SHALL ALWAYS REMAIN IN THE TOP 10 MOST IMPOVERISHED COUNTRIES. I HAVE NEVER SEEN A PEOPLE WHO ARE SO PROUD OF THEIR IGNORANCE!
Zain, your rates are very unfriendly here in Zed, we cannot be subsidizing for what other people are using in your subsidiary points in other nations. Chi network nacho cha oyo,breaking,noise in the background with too much emphasis in advertising as if you know that your subscribers are always thinking of ditching you.
Mwebabombako,sort out the mess bout your gratuities, pays etc before these guys disappearing the grape vine, the HE LPM who can help you is not well, not until he recovers these people will be swindling kanaka ine mwe.
#18 I am in telecomms and I will tell you the reason it is expensive to outside and cheaper to call Zambia is because of traffic volumes.
International call rates are determined by traffic volumes, Zambia generates very limited international traffic and hence is in a weak position.
For example some countries can send up to 1 million minutes to Zambia and in return, we send 20,000. Let us assume we each call is U$1. We would pay out $20,000 and receive $1,000,000.
The result is that they charge those calls at a premium so they can make some money to “offset” the amount they have to pay us for calls into Zambia. Hence you pay higher call charges.
Tell me something, since Zain came around, I cant contact my relatives on their mobiles. Whats going on?
In addition, Zain and MTN do not publish their international call rates. Whilst they receive a discounted rate on the public collection charge published by ZAMTEL.
Neither pass this on to the consumer, in fact they add a premium. In reality Celtel and MTN can afford to charge less than ZAMTEL for international calls and still make a profit.
For its faults ZAMTEL is Zambian and most importantly has assets in Zambia . A quick look at the Celtel IPO brochure will show that Celtel has virtually no infrastructure in Zambia. Even the famous new HQ belongs to the show society and is only rented by Zain.
The MTN HQ is also rented and in all honesty we have made this mistake enough times.
#24. what infrastructure are you talking about? Whatever facilities Zain have, it is within the technologically permissable capacity of a wireless network serve for their lack of the international gateway. Zain is not a fixed line operator therefore you should not expect them to have the same infrastrucure as ZAMTEL. Comparing Apples with Oranges? To rent or to built an HQ is a business decision. Zain has to weigh how it spreads it resources. No one should hold that against them. There are a lot of multi nationals who rent their business premises from property companies. The idea is not to tie your capital in real estate but to focus it on your core activities.
wow, the zambian govt is concerned about security!? what rubbish is this? they well come useless investors from the outside, give them land, companies and all, and now they mean to say they actually do care about security? what security? who would want to attack this country anyway? govt is just about money nothing else! let them ban private operators from owning their own gateways but let them scrap off the charge so that these private operators can have no reason to deny us these services. govt is gaining on revenue at the expense of the citizen’s welfare! bloody bastards we have in power! may the gods help us from this pathetic rule by *****s we put into power!
#23 zain zambia is taking over from the poor celtel zambia, who robbed zambians in open view, the reason you are not able to contact your relatives is coz’ they are installing new codes and every thing into their computers telling them ‘ok zain is here now, so you write zain everywhere not celtel’, it is kind of easy to understand that so please reduce on the irrelevant raising of issues and discuss real matters!
zain is a good company…dont talk crap abt it.
#22 if your explanation is correct, then the more reason why Zambia should find a way to make it cheaper for Zambians to call abroad, because believe me it is currently extremely expensive
What security? We can still monitor private gateways. We will continue to remain backward in the name of security while our friends are busy progressing. It’s high time that we evaluate this position of opening international gateways.
You see eh! All these countries with private Gateways don’t worry about their security. Its only us here in Zambia. Pipo have money to spend on international calls why worry. Besides we are glad to be the least in development. Look at our fuel prices they are even going higher ant its very good. Everyone is buying a car from Japan.
Please govt don’t give private gateway. we are used to expensive calls.
i remain
Ntondo
The government does not need to own the International gateway to eaves dropp. All you need are a couple of electronic gadgets to do so. The Americans and British have a very huge listening post in the UK where they monitor phone communications around the world without necessarily owning the so called international gateway. They do not need to directly monitor the International gateways of the various telephony companies. Besides If they did so they would be breaking the law. Zambians please just ask the red top newspapers in the UK and they will show you how to monitor phone calls. They have the technology.
#27- There is no point in lashing out at #23 in your last sentence. Most of us in the diaspora are facing difficulties in accessing Zain services. What’s wrong with one asking?
Today is 13th August, 2008 and its all showing Celtel on the mobile phones. Did these guys do their homework right? If its the same former, why didn’t they inform us in good time that they will be changing to Zain. Why was it a sudden thing?
Believe you me you, we have been swindled. Remember we were told that Celtel is very solid during the time of the shares transformation, but what has happened now… These guys are now starting from the scratch. By the time we the Zambians will get the truth, it will be too late. Already its too late.
Let them tell us what shares have been floated on LUSE.
Anonymous No. 20 MIND YR LANGUAGE
DONT BRING YR PRIMITIVITY HERE
#32 Do you consider the cost factor in all this? All good, you are right to say even private gateways can be monitored, but who will buy all this when we do not even afford pills in hospitals.Lets be real guys …
#35. Nothing has happened to my shares. They are still intact from the day I invested in Celtel. Celtel was simply rebranded ZAIN by MTC the Kuwaiti parent company. I have not been cheated. 20% of ZAIN (Zambia was floated on the LUSE). Zambians please stop worshipping ignorance!
#36. Honestly if anybody wants to do harm on Zambia I dont think they will be stupid enough to do this on a phoneline. So the security argument is just Zambians exposing their ignorance and backwardness.
The Zambian govt is just out to protect ZAMTEL. It has nothing to do with security. We are indeed a nation of *****s that we can condone our govt to listening to what are basically private conversations. This is sick. What sort of a country are we? We seem to have no privacy. This sort of thing only happens in dictatorships and fascists countries. In civilised countries any evidence that is obtained by telephone tapping is not admissable in court. For example if I am in one of the EU countries and the Zambian govt has information obtained from my phone conversation that I was plotting against them; I can assure you that they will never have me extradited.
annonymous #20,u must be mad,why do u insault zambians like that u stinking cok?
It is shameful and backward to protect a compnay like Zamtel which will sink on its own with or without the IGW Control. It is like keeping Mugabe in power really.
Smell the coffee and take advantage of new Technological evolvement. it is my view and continued projection that, Zamtel will yet again suffer another revenue slamp to sale at less than USD100 dollars per sub, making its value only at 8million dollars.
You can never prtect yourself against innovation and Global Business demand. I can confidently say that, Zamtel already suffers no growth in International Traffic despite growth in the Mobile Subs level..It is now easy to bypass Zamtel without detection on available tehcnologies
The reason of security are not justified whn it comes to IGW.
It is only a dull and ignorant govt which can hang to such an argument.
I propose that, all mobile and Fixed line operators are issued with International licences at a fee.
To obtain an International licence, all operators should comply to a govt regulation on security by making all CDR(call Data records) available to govt at request and warehoused for a stipulated period.
Govt should set Key perfomance benchmarks for toll quality of all originating and terminating traffic.
Revenue on international traffic will have to be shared on agreed percentage, with some portion going towards enhencing ICT education and Rural ICT.
GRZ owns Zamtel, so its GRZ protecting itself. And if I remember the main issue about the IGW, was after Celtel was tryin to con GRZ into believing that its usage was about 99% or higher, only for LPM check at mwenbeshi and discover the opposite. In short this mistrust between GRZ and Celtel did not help.I guess all govts defend their turf by protecting their interests.And #38, I’m not for monitoring, its just real and all govts do that by the way.All gateways are monitored, US even put monitors on the Internet after 9/11, so we are under the radar 24/7, Live with it.
Am happy with the discussants on this page. Informative and a good level of maturity. Surely ZAIN has to give an explanation about the CELTEL shares people bought. Remember NEVER assume too much. Its always dangerous. I for one am relieved that Celtel is gone. It was TOO noisy with its adverts.
#43. That has never been the issue. The govt has always insisted that the ISSUE IS SECURITY! OF course all govts do that. But they do not do it by destroying competition in the telecom sector. Can you mention just one govt in COMESA which thinks the way your govt does. Can you explain why small countries like Rwanda and Malawi are more wired than the behemoth called Zambia with a comparatively higher per capita income. The truth of the matter is that you have screwed up your ICT policy with some archaic stupid beliefs and practices. Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda, Malawi, Sudan, Egypt DRC all have liberalised IGWs. Have these countries lost anything?
People who are supporting ZAMTEL IGW monopoly are people who do not understand how this has made Zambia very uncompetitive. First for some of us who are abroad know how much of a hassle calling Zambia is. First there is always congestion because this one Zamtel IGW facility. You will be lucky to get through. Second the cost is too high. Delloite and Touche put Zambia amongst the 10 most expensive countries in the world to communicate with. I have used the same card to call Celtel numbers in Zambia and Kenya. A £5 card was worth 400 minutes to Kenya while to Zambia it was worth only 99 minutes. Zambia is a captive market.
The Zambian govt should concern itself with making services cheaper and affordable for Zambians. In this case all the Zambian govt is doing is to protect an innefficient govt white elephant. I do not give a damn as to who owns my telephone provider all I need are cheaper services. Give me Botswana electricity anytime rather than on and off ZESCO power. As long as I can enjoy a service I do not give a damn as to who owns it. The time for pseudonationalism is long gone. That is small talk for the simple minded. I will pay anymoney for any good service whether or not it is owned by my grandmother!
Zambia should be prepared to take risks. To me what is seemingly important would be how to mitigate against such risks whilst at the same time taking advantage of cutting edge technolgy. This security thing has been standing in the way of development for far too long. Surely Zambia cannot perpetually pride itself in being labelled among the ten poorest LDCs in the world.
Agreed, very uncompetitive behavoir actually stalls development and this one of them.I’m just sayin it as it is.I’m not condoning it, it is real and happening.You asked me to cite one country, ok, South Africa, owns Telkom SA, which owns 50% of Vodacom SA. All other Cel companies go thro Telkom and pay it, in short pay Vodacom for the network. Its ugly but real #43.
Do’nt make sound very Zambian its all over, some countries feel they should own a piece of the sector, hence become very defensive.I hope such useful discussions can be picked up by the decision makers.
Mina bo ndate mwanana kwa buhata!
#49 buhata bwa ndate Miyoba bwa sabisa. Inge sitongwani. Baati li facti za teni zeo ki za kwi pangela inge mubeti…
#34 – You wander why your cell phone is still showing ‘Celtel’? Simple. Older sim cards will remain reading celtel until you go for a sim replacement just like those who got the earliest numbers under ZAMCELL still read as such.
All this talk suggesting that all of us who bought shares in Celtel have been swindled, is really shallow and just shows how little effort people make to acquire information and knowledge. I wouldn’t be surprised if most of these people actually never bought any shares and now wish doom to befall their more enlightened colleagues. Zain, bought off Celtel International more than a year ago but maintained the trading name. Now they have decided to re-brand to the Group name. Just a few months ago, Lafarge did the same at Chilanga Cement. Have any shares been swindled from Chilanga shareholders? NO. Please let’s wise up. We lag behind due to lack of information.
Mine has changed to ZAIN on its own!!!All this ZAIN complaint just goes to show how Zambians and backward in shareownership issues with International companies. ZAIN has always been a major shareholder of CELTEL and now ZAIN nothing has changed apart from the name CELTEL to ZAIN.
and also DAVID VENN resigning is also another change that has happened!!!
Those who are worried about their shares should check the prospectus which celtel issued at the time of selling the shares. On the first page you will see two logos one for celtel and the other for Zein. So don’t worry because the Zein/celtel relationship has been there for a long time. As for IGW, GRZ will always hide behind security just as they are doing in LPM’s sickness case it’s all crap!
#22, I like your analysis, so does it them make sense for us to reduce our IGW licence fees to something like US$100,000 from the current US$12 million and encourage more people to participate in the international telecommunications, And believe me if that was to happen today, you would see how much zambians would be calling each across the borders. The issue of security, unless there is something that I do not fully understand, I really do not see what security issues people are talking about it is like the issue of dual citizenship we were discussing sometime back on this blog.
Zambia needs to further deregulate its telecommunication market. With increased economic activities in SADC and Comesa, oridinary Zambians stand to benefit from this arrangement. Tanzania, DRC, Malawi, Kenya etc are all part of this one-network and these countries belong to the two aforementioned organisations.
Besides, Zamtel which is currently financially constraint with 70 percent of their revenue being spent on personal emoluments stands to make extra income from this.
And fix-line penetration of the telecommunication sector is not incresing
zamtel is zambian much is we want to have more companys in the hands of zambian why should we give them our gateway.why so much on gateway.please zain leave our gateway alone
I have found the view points of Anonymous on the need for good service which is reasonable priced right on. The security that we seem to be singing about which is not even the priority of this Government and the issue of security is a mockery to the well meaning Zambian wishing to leave in peace. He who emphasizes on something should indeed have a phobia over that issue. Who in Zambia is unsafe from foreign forces other than those that dance with them? An ordinary Zambian would be more interested to have the police available when he/she is being mugged or robbed, which most times is not there. The security associated to IGW is more of an excuse to sustain as stated a white elephant in the
name of “ZAMTEL”. The many authorities vested with regulating service in Zambia are a waste of tax payer’s money, for they do nothing to help the cause of the well meaning Zambian who wishes for a comfortable life. Energy Regulatory Board, Communication Authority, is a case in question. Who does not know that ZESCO and ZAMTEL have been brought to their knees because of the insatiable appetite to get all collected revenue for Party functions ( MMD) disguised as government. This is the more reason why these two companies have unfair advantage over others through this monopoly. So ladies and gentle the issue of security is just a ploy. This excuse is meant purely to protect the revenue base for
From the last time I checked on Zamtel, I saw that, they have poor ability to negotiate reasonable terminating costs for Voice calls. For everycall terminating in the country, they only get 15% of the cost for circuit usage.
When they originate the call, Zamtel charges over 200% of the cost of calls and pays 100% of the actual cost for for terminating into major carriers like At&T and worlcom, not counting BT. Technology and Business incompetence.
To say that the gateway should be only in the hands of Zamtel coz of security is a lie.The issue here is monet that zamtel gets which the guys want to pocket.One this they should understand is that if they want this to cont. Let them ensure that zamtel is the best in zambia.Zain,Mtn all use Zamtel why should Zamtel be the 3rd as regards to services? Reason Poor management and Government always getting funds which are meant for investment.
My advice to Governement will be open up the market,charge resonable tax to companies and having own gateways, Result good service to people, More money for Government and more money for Companies, let us not use security as the reason we can not open the gateway, if Other coutries better than Zambia in economic terms have done, why not us? When are we to learn to think business and act business.. Governemnet please move on!!!
If Celtel provides a bad service, people should not complain but simply change networks. MTN and Cell Z are alternative network providers.
33 you are a fool ***** diaspora, mwaikala fye ukupipa utukota……. ati diaspora, you live in cubicals you call house, folish dont insult zambans kwati ulekala bwino!
I might be arguing from without, but since the so called ZAIN came into existence, I have been finding it very difficult to phone my relatives in Zambia. Is it because of the ZAIN issue or something else. Sorry if I seem to be behind.
I am in Bahrain in middle east where this Zain operates as well. The country were i an Zain provides quite a poor service and their rates a rather high. This maybe subjective.
That said eversince some numbers were introduced to all phones in zambia i never get through to zambia from my mobile unless i use a landline. Can Zamtel check its system
work up government and let the private sector run the show. just tax them. use other means to monitor security issues.
Can Communication Authority and Communication Ministry shed some light on this issue.Ever,since the Zain Company came have failed to get in touch with my business partners at Comesa Market in Lusaka and this has cost my business deary.
Can Communication Authority and Communication Ministry shed some light on this issue.Ever,since the Zain Company came i have failed to get in touch with my business partners at Comesa Market in Lusaka and this has cost my business deary.
Gud point # 59. Please its not Zamtel who has a problem of not getting thru to your relatives its Zenon (Zain) just switch on to MTN or Cell Z
what kind of a name is Zain?
The only people who stand to benefit from the liberalization of the gateway are foreigners. Lets assume we liberalize the gateway tomorrow, what do you think happends to the forex earned from international settlements? Do you think Zain will suddenly become a donor institution or immediately externalize the proceeds to the middle east?
As the infrastructure argument, it is moronic to believe a mobile operator in Zambia cannot even “own” an office in Zambia. For all those who have bought Zain shares, what backs your shares? Mobile switching equipment that does not depreciate? (Pls refer to the Celtel IPO balance sheet).
Neither Zain nor MTN are willing to “BUILD” their own gateway i.e. Mwembeshi’s. Their argument is that current infrastructure should be privatized and they should get a share, that is rubbish. If they want an IGW let them build their own and Zambia can benefit.
As much as I work for ZAMTEL I don’t believe it is going in the right direction and politics play a big part in that.
My argument is as Zambians we have sold virtually everything to foreigners and now you want to make enough excuses to sell what we have left.
Ba Zain ni vi zende.
Who cares?
what security
what is zambia in the world. some africans dont even know zambia
whites even wonder when you mention you are from zambia. and u people think u are popular or known.
forget securtity
have u heard leaders in other nations even worrying that LPM is sick, theyd ontc are. who is LPM to them
shame on us. this is a global world my friends
GRZ must just find a way of tracking calls instead of denying to open the IGW.
mwe fima zambians imwe you are too dull.
#78 Wechipuba, we why are you insulting us zedians! Niwe musula chinwuke! SWINE!
For shizzle fwema zambians tulifipuba sana ata
wat is Zambia by the way??
#78, you have only shown your ignorance and not knowing what the global village is all about. If Zambia was not known, the US,UK,Japan,France,Russia, Germany, Italy and a host of other countries wouldn’t have their presence in the country, in form of Embassies and High Commissions. I also wish to tell you that security comes in different forms. What you may perceive as useless, the other fellow will find it to be the information he/she has been looking. Currently Zambia is doing well economically and some countries like Zimbabwe wouldn’t be happy to see Zambia bypass it when it was a food basket of Southern Africa not long ago.
cont’d
I must say you are the only one whose education isquestionale and do not blame anybody for that. How can’t world Presidents not know LPM when they are always meeting at the United Nations every year? You are a shrimp.
There is NO security to worry about, the GRZ want only to collect money from the so called Investors and this is just stealing.GRZ should allow the Mobile services providers to be independent, using free user gateway for easier couse the services, phone and will be very cheap.
#80 & 81. Come on, be serious with what you post. By your question in 81, it shows why you’re convinced that you’re a fool. I agree. Indeed you are a fool. You alone not Zambians.
Get yo facts right before posting issues here.you are creating unnecessary anxiety in the stock markets.all countries in which celtel was present in africa have rebranded. We living in the era of globalization and the one network facility is good for cross border traders and businessmen.liberalising the international gateway will reduce communication costs.its because of zamtel that international calls are hard to go thru.send an sms abroad on either zain or mtn and be guaranteed it wont be delivered.thats zamtel’s problem.imagine if zamtel’s international gateway had a problem then we would be cut off from the rest of the world.protecting zamtel will just make us lag more technologically.
Zambian should support zamtel,that company can deliver.The international gate is for zambians as we can not afford to liberize everything.let zain set up their own international gateway and this would be meaningful investment.
As international telecommunications expert,i can asure members that Zambia can do better even without Zain.we havw the man power and infrastructure but we seem not to have goals or ambition.
#87 That is exactly what ZAIN want to do: SET UP their own International Gateway. But your pseudonationalist govt has refused citing national security. That is why your govt and your own illogical waffling is >stupid.
#22, so because of greed ZAMTEL won’t use part of that $1M earned to offset costs to poor zambian subscribers, instead GRZ traousers all of it, let the pipo pay, MPs need salary hikes. Same with Airfares, Zambia is the most expensive place to fly to in Africa. BA site extremly high jetfuel costs in Zambia for high are fares.
Thats why mwenyes use CB radios to communicate.
Iam very dissapointed with this MMD gov. It is certainly not for the pipo, or for the countries development. They are fleecing us. By most accounts Zambia is one of the most expensive places for everything. Meanwhile the rich live hollywood style lives. I am not saying give the pipo free things but don’t overcharge investors and other suppliers and expect them to overcharge the pipo in return and turn a blind eye to shoddy works. MMDs GRZ just dosent care nowonder they cant get rid of corruption. If all this $ from overcharging us and our minerals went to meaningfull development which we can see like unis and manufacturing plants then fine.
#55, is it true that David Venn is resigning?
Zain is a very powerful company based in Kuwait. It has the financial capacity to build more than 4 Mwembeshi Satellite stations. Why cant the company embark on this expansion instead of complaining the restriction by Zamtel that build the Mwembeshi Satellite with our money? Walesha kake aliye mulandu(He who refuses his property has no case to answer)
Yes, saw the ad in the paper about DAVID VENN’S resignation. He will leave the company in October. Sad!
I THINK THERE IS ALWAYS A WAY OF ALOWING THESE INVESTORS TO OWN THEIR SYSTEMS WITHOUT COMPROMISING THE SECURITY. THERE IS ALWAYS A SECURITY CONCERN ON ANYTHING, THE ISSUE IS HOW DO WE CATCH UP WITH TECHNOLOGY TRENDS WITHOUT HAMPERING DEVELOPMENT. OTHERS ARE DOING IT, LETS LEARN FROM THEM… SO WE CAN KEEP UP WITH THE TECHNOLOGY TREND WORLD OVER.
I THINK WE SHOULD ALLOW THEM AND IT IS UP TO THE SECURITY SYSTEM TO CATCH UP WITH TECH TRENDS.
WITH DEVELOPMENT COMES SECURITY CONCERNS EVERY WHERE,THE COUNTRY CONCERNED NEED TO DEVELOP CAPABILITIES TO MANAGE THAT INSTEAD OF HINDERING DEVELOPMENT.
people please, when leaving comments make sure you understand what you are saying. LT is meant for constructive comments and not empty ones. they say even a fool can be considered wise if he keeps his mouth shut…….comment about what you have enough information about. please no hard feelings
Why is david venn resigning?
#97, did the Zain MD David Venn jump or was he pushed. I know that the Zambian operations experienced massive network failures that coincided (unfortunately) with the rebranding from Celtel to Zain. Maybe the powers that be in the middle east were not too pleased. Plus, i saw an article online that announced that gateway fees in Zambia had been hiked from $12million to $19 million. Zambian Govt simply telling Zain to stuff their one network up some orifice…….
Yall are so daft, they only changed the name the ownership hasnt changed, the Arabs have been operating in your country for a long time now, and only now you get scared, yall must get your facts straight before you blog stuff and show your ignorance
The culture in zamtel is not good professionals in there are just loffing. They are not exploiting their and the companies potential. The market for broadband internet service as at now is greater but each time you go there they you stories. This is what is killing us Zambians. Zamtel has great potential to give us quality affordable services, alas Zambians work culture is the waste around.
Give me a break. The Zambian govt is just concerned about the potential revenue it will be losing, not national security concerns. Our borders are so porous and our border patrol officials are so sleepy that Osama bin Laden himself (with an entourage announcing his arrival) would be able to cross the border into Zambia without detection. We need to be competitive in this global market. We are already lagging behind technologically and developmentally.
thank you for what zain co his doing in zambia,
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