MTN Zambia has agreed with Zamtel to reduce interconnectivity charges by 50 percent after Government issues a Statutory Instrument.
And the firm has donated K86 million towards the Likumbi Lya Mize traditional ceremony slated for September 1 to 4.
Company managing director, Farhad Khan, said the reduction in interconnectivity fees will be effected after the SI is issued.
Mr Khan said the firm has also engaged in discussions with other operators on the reduction of interconnectivity charges.
He was speaking in an interview in Lusaka yesterday.
Mr Khan said there is need to reduce interconnectivity charges that different networks charge each other for cross networks.
The current cross networks call charges are very high, thus reducing efficiency in service delivery.
The company reaffirmed its commitement to ensuring that every subscriber has access to cheap mobile communication but the vision is being hindered by high cost of interconnectivity charges.
Last month, Zain Zambia reduced international call tariffs by 40 percent while MTN reduced by 40 percent after Government’s decision to allow mobile service providers to manage their own international gateway.
The new Zambia Information and Communications Technology Authority (ZICTA) has provisions that require interconnectivity fees to be cost-reflective and transparent.
MTN wrote to ZICTA and ZCC to look into interconnectivity charges within Zambia which it says are too high due to higher interconnectivity charges.
And MTN said the donation of the K86 million to Likumbi Lya Mize cultural association is part of the firm’s corporate responsibility to support the community.
Mr Khan said the firm has to date invested K400 million in numerous cultural activities across the country.
And association chairperson Gideon Kaumba said the association is scouting for K150 million to host the event.
Mr Kaumba said so far the association has raised slightly above K100 million.
MTN is the main sponsor of the ceremony this year and will hold a fundraising dinner dance this week Friday at Intercontinental Hotel.
[Zambia Daily Mail]
much to the annoyance of negative thinking diasporic kaponyas. the govt is working and it means more support form citizens more votes as you fight among yourselves muli ka pakt. thanks MMD thats why we are now able to call these self exiled tamangas from zambia without ado
“MTN Zambia has agreed with Zamtel to reduce interconnectivity charges by 50 percent”
We have started seeing the benefits of the privatization of ZAMTEL.
Tricke down effect now being felt.This is good news.Celtel and now Zain exploited us to much.Now the heat is on!!
The tarrifs MTN to MTN must also reduce.
Trickle down effect. This is great news. These are the benefits of private sector participation in the economy. More should be encouraged.
That’s a welcome development.
The naive are already assuming this is because of the privatization. Do you think such a decision can be made within days of LapGreen taking over when they don’t even have a team on the ground yet?
Stop making assumptions. This was in the works for a while now.
A light moment please: “Here you see ARABEE driving straight to State House, while Cycle Mata is still cycling around the round about”.
Ba LT, can you put this sentence in plain english please, “MTN wrote to ZICTA and ZCC to look into interconnectivity charges within Zambia which it says are too high due to higher interconnectivity charges”
Sorry Ba LT. I now see it is not your problem, it is a case of copy and paste, sic.
Hope this is not a political move esp on the donation of 86m to likumbi lya nzambi
Good this is good news.But whats up with the zain network ? For the past two week all the messages i have been receiving from the zain numbers are a living hell.The same message will be delivered even up to a hundred times.Probably it is only me facing that problem it is indeed hell.
Zain is for “HORSES”……:)>-:)>-:)>-:)>-
Blacks will never develop! The thinking is too shallow and here is the evidence. Kaunda belt a company and you hand over it to the Arabs for nothing? F.O.O.L.I.S.H
Whiteman, it is not “belt” but rather “built.” And, and, we don’t say “hand over it,” instead we say “hand it over.” You see whiteman you got screwed while you screwed. No, no, no! You actually screw yourself, now that i think of it! Whiteman my butt!
Great site. A lot of useful information here. I’m sending it to some friends!