MOBILE SERVICE PROVIDERS MUST COMPETE ON SERVICE DELIVERY, SAYS MUTATI

By Lumbiwe Mwanza

MOBILE service providers should provide services to members of the Public in an efficient and cost effective manner, Minister of Technology and Science Felix Mutati has said.

Mr. Mutati told The Scoop that delivering technology services should be inclusive and not leave anyone behind.

“Service delivery should be in a most efficient and cost effective manner. Mobile service providers need to compete with service delivery and not on infrastructure as that will promote economic growth,” Mr. Mutati said.

He said that mobile service providers should aim at ensuring inclusiveness to perfect service delivery and not infrastructure.

“There is no reason why when one mobile service provider lays fibre, the other provider should not but there should be collaboration in usage of infrastructure. Sharing is critical as what matters to citizens is the service,” he said.

He said that as the digital revolution intensified and grew, it was critical that technology service providers operated in and created a more enabling and competitive global society.

He explained that a digitally inclusive community was important to economic and workforce development, civic participation, education, healthcare, and public safety.

He said that building a digitally inclusive community required participation and support from each sector player sharing innovation and infrastructure with the view to build a strong economy and an inclusive society.

He said that communication services and technological innovations should be accessible and affordable to all because of the implications they had for sustained economic development.

He urged mobile service providers to continue working towards making internet services more accessible by increasing the participation rate of disadvantaged people in public, social, and economic activities.