IMPLEMENTATION OF ONE NETWORK SYSTEM SLUGGISH – MUTATI

By Kalobwe Bwalya

THE implementation of a one network system for all the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region countries has been a bit sluggish, Minister of Technology and Science Felix Mutati has said.

In an interview, Mr. Mutati said over 10 years ago, some SADC countries such as South Africa, Malawi, Botswana, and Zimbabwe agreed that the region needed to have one network.

He said the roaming like home project had been very sluggish and the study had since remained unimplemented in the last 10 years.

He explained that the study was followed with an independent study that was able to define the cost associated and also to propose the skidding of payments.

He said the study was very informative but that in the last 10 years, the implementation had been very sluggish and has since remained unimplemented but admitted that there are challenges faced with the telecommunication regulators in the countries.

He said the issue was that the four countries needed to agree on the common network and tariff not only for one country, but across the SADC region.

“The issue of tariff harmonisation roaming like home has been a biggest drawback and this is why from the Zambian side, we said why we don’t propose a pilot project with the four countries for roaming like home. We need to engage the regulators and the operators to see how we can implement the issue of roaming like home.  Roaming like home means that you are charged the same amount even when you travelled outside the country,” Mr. Mutati said.

However, Mr. Mutati disclosed that the issue was actively being pursued by the four countries as a pilot programme and that it was progressing well.

He said he was hoping that the profits that would be realised from the programme could be used as partial support for the four SADC countries.

The minister said once the programme started, it would also facilitate fast border movement, trade and reduce inconveniences which travellers’ faced in these SADC countries.

“As for Malawi, two regulators are talking over the same as Botswana and Zimbabwe and if we have these regulators coming on board, which means that if someone is traveling to another country, they will be no need to have another Sim card, but to use the same Sim cards and when at the border, they will not start looking for the network because it will be available,” he said.