×
NewsDay

AMH is an independent media house free from political ties or outside influence. We have four newspapers: The Zimbabwe Independent, a business weekly published every Friday, The Standard, a weekly published every Sunday, and Southern and NewsDay, our daily newspapers. Each has an online edition.

Mobile phone operators warned

News
The Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (Potraz) has threatened to clamp down on mobile phone operators offering shoddy services to clients. Potraz networks and standards manager Nicholas Muzhuzha told NewsDay his organisation had started acquiring surveillance equipment to monitor mobile phone providers operating in the country. “We are not happy with the quality […]

The Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (Potraz) has threatened to clamp down on mobile phone operators offering shoddy services to clients.

Potraz networks and standards manager Nicholas Muzhuzha told NewsDay his organisation had started acquiring surveillance equipment to monitor mobile phone providers operating in the country.

“We are not happy with the quality of service. Last year we commissioned a consultant to carry out measurements on the quality of service being offered by the network providers and since this is a first measurement, we will not penalise any of them, but rather we gave them time to rectify before we carry out a second assessment,” said Muzhuzha.

“In this light, we are now in the process of acquiring our own machines so that we do not rely on the consultant,” he said.

The country currently has three mobile phone operators — NetOne, Econet and Telecel — with a combined subscriber base of over five million people.

“The quality of service will be customer-centric. Customers have been complaining about the long time it takes for ‘sms’ messages to be delivered, voice quality and call drops and also cross lines which are unacceptable considering the high tariffs being charged by the service providers,” said Muzhuzha.

Muzhuzha was part of the delegates attending the 8th annual general meeting of the Association of Regulators of Information and Communication for Eastern and Southern Africa in Victoria Falls.

Speaking at the same function, Potraz deputy director-general Alfred Marisa said mobile service operators would be made answerable to the regulator once the monitoring equipment was installed.