Zain Zambia won't launch One Network service

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.

The IDG News Service is a Network World affiliate.