Operators invited to bid for Zambia’s fourth mobile network licence
Zambia is seeking bidders for a fourth mobile-network licence to take on operators including market leader MTN in the Southern African country, transport and communications minister Brian Mushimba said. Last week, the ministry gave the go-ahead to the telecommunications regulator to start the process, he said in a recorded response to questions on Monday. The new carrier could be in place over the next 6-12 months and the country may even have capacity for a fifth operator, he said. The local unit of India’s Bharti Airtel and state-owned Zamtel make up the current trio. Communication costs in Zambia have been "rather on the high side", Mushimba said from Lusaka, the capital. "The market analysis that we have done supports the fact that we can have a fourth licensee and possibly a fifth and still the market will be profitable." The upcoming auction represents a rare opportunity for international wireless carriers to expand in sub-Saharan Africa without making an acquisition. Slowing ...
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