Zimbabwe’s Telecommunications Stakeholders Engage In Indaba To Address Sector Challenges

By Wallace Mawire

  Various players from Zimbabwe’s telecommunications sector participated in a stakeholders engagement indaba to deliberate on various issues affecting the industry.

  The indaba held in Harare was facilitated by the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ) on 4 April,2024 under the theme:Enhancing Price Transparency and Quality of Service for telecommunication services in Zimbabwe.

  The indaba focused on presentations from the Telecommunications Operators Association of Zimbabwe (TOAZ) on the cost of providing telecommunication services in Zimbabwe.

 The presentation highlighted key considerations, challenges and possible solutions which can be adopted to enhance service delivery in the sector.

  Other presentations on enhancing electricity availability for the telecommunications sector was done by a representative of the Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC), highlighting the challenges, on-going initiatives and proposals.

  POTRAZ representatives presented on tariff trends and the quality of service of telecommunication services in the country focusing on the key considerations and the challenges.

  The indaba was attended by stakeholders who included representatives of telecommunications companies,internet service providers including regulatory bodies in the country.It was also organised through the collaboration of the Ministry of ICT,Postal and Courier Services.

  Companies which attended the indaba included Telone,DFA Zimbabwe Private Limited,Telecel,Powertel,Netone,Africom,Telco,Econet,Liquid Telecom and Dandemutande.

  Some of the regulatory authority bodie which attended the indaba included the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ),Zimbabwe Environmental Regulatory Authority (ZERA) and the Consumer Council of Zimbabwe (CCZ),just to mention a few.

  A representative of POTRAZ said that the indaba served as a collaborative  engagement platform for exchanging ideas in the telecommunications sector.The major issues of deliberation focused on price transparency.

  The indaba also emphasised the need for an inclusive digital economy as the country seeks to achieve a middle-income status economy by 2030,leaving no one and no-place behind.