Zambia is on course to get its fourth mobile operator with Beeline Telecom to launch commercial LTE-based services by the end of January 2023.
Beeline’s entry into the Zambian market has been confirmed by The Zambia Information and Communication Technology Authority (ZICTA).
Beeline was granted an operating license in February 2021 and had been set to launch commercial services in June of this year but encountered problems due to Covid-19 related issues.
“We granted an extension because the company was unable to commence operations due to challenges with the procurement process owing to Covid-19. But now the company will launch operations on January 31, 2023,” said Banji Michelo, ZICTA’s Manager of Legal and Regulatory Affairs.
Beeline has pledged to invest $400 million and create up to 450 jobs once it kicks off its services in Zambia.
Beeline’s entrance into the Zambian market provides additional competition for the existing three players, Airtel, MTN, and Zamtel.
Airtel with 42 percent market share, followed by MTN with 39 percent, represents the vast majority of the market, with Zamtel accounting for the 19 percent left over.
The new telco is expected to deploy 4G and 5G services, says ZICTA.
MTN recently launched its 5G services in Zambia, becoming the first operator in the country to do so.
This will push Zamtel over the edge…It must be privatised too if it is to survive.It is already in a very week position.
How can a mobile network provider with a monopoly on landlines fail so dismally ????
How can it push ZAMTEL to the edge when it has all the infrastructure…the company is just poorly run I mean you had placed an Engineer as CEO how laughable is that
Just give Zamtel back to Lapgreen. After all it is still over $500m due to PF overzealousness!
The pledge $450m what guarantees are there that they will invest this money? Who is behind this company?
My immediate hope is that Beeline will help reduce the current unrealistically high and inconsistent internet services…
Beeline is a Russian company, for all we know these are sanctioned individuals. I would not have cared less about the sanctions, however, when Russia can, with impunity, send a Zambian student who was incarcerated on flimsy drug charges to die at the battlefront, the government should be rejecting this company outrightly. I think Africa must rid itself of Russia by all means. That said, if they are coming in January, why do we see no job adverts?
ZAMTEL is in trouble.
Because of the reckless decision by PF, ZAMTEL has a debt of $300 million to Lapgreen.No investor can pump any money into ZAMTEL.
BEELINE has already pledged to invest $400 million .
Why didn’t you just give zamtel to beeline so that you collect the $400 million and pay off lap green.
Welcome to zambia. When you invest well you eat well even when you are not in power . Guess who has shares in this? Twalya haha
Let me learn something about business as beeline will try to have a share in the current market