There is bad news for operators in both Chad and Zambia, whose telecommunications regulators have highlighted what they see as serious quality of service (QoS) deficiencies in their mobile communications offerings.
Regulator ARCEP in Chad has finished its 15th national audit of the quality of telecom services and the results, made public on Monday this week, do not make great reading for operators Moov Africa and Airtel.
Out of a possible maximum score of 200 points Moov Africa scored 123.86 points, compared to 98.35 for Airtel. After this, apparently the first audit to cover the entire country, the regulator concluded that most of the equipment of the two operators is faulty, inadequately maintained, and has problems with energy supply. It suggested that there were even sites completely out of service in some regions.
The audit probably just confirms the views of end users: electronic communications are often heavily criticised by the country’s consumers owing to the difficulty – sometimes impossibility – of making a phone call or accessing the internet.
What happens now is not clear. The audit may be enough on its own to encourage improvement, though fines, suspension or even withdrawal of an operator’s licence are also possible. Indeed, in September 2023 ARCEP imposed a fine of XAF5 billion FCFA (US$8.8 million) on Airtel Chad for non-compliance with its investment commitments.
More than two years later, QoS clearly remains a major problem. That said, in September this year Airtel announced an investment plan of XAF50 billion (US$87.5 million) to improve the quality of its network by June 2026.
The story is similar in Zambia, where regulator ZICTA this week put out a statement saying: “The persistent deterioration in the quality of electronic communication services is not only worrying but a direct threat to Zambia’s digital transformation agenda, economic competitiveness, and the daily lives of our citizens.”
ZICTA has therefore issued mandatory and binding directives to all mobile network operators and tower infrastructure providers, requiring them to invest in increasing capacity and coverage, especially in underserved and rural areas; to equip all hub sites with robust backup systems to ensure uninterrupted service during power outages; and to adopt sustainable energy solutions.
It adds: “ZICTA will not hesitate to invoke its regulatory powers against any operator or provider that fails to meet the QoS standards.”
