The Malawi telecoms regulator, Macra has started advertising for a fourth mobile phone operator, even though the license for the 3rd operator has still not been allocated. The country currently has two operators, Celtel Malawi and TNM - and advertised for a third operator last year.
Last March, the regulator has announced in a statement that five companies had applied for the country's third mobile operator license. Three of the bids came from local firms, while the other two came from Econet Wireless and USA-based Millennium Global Telecom. "Out of the 11 companies that obtained bidding documents, only five submitted their applications. Macra will be evaluating the submissions," the regulator said in a statement. Since then though - no further comment has been made.
MalawiĆ's Minister of Information and Civic Education, Patricia Kaliati said that the country needs more competition in the phone market to drive down prices and improve rural coverage. She also said that the outstanding 3rd license would be granted once a new board is elected to manage the regulator.
Last month, the government rolled out a series of rural telecentres to be run be women in order to spread general ICT services in the countryside.
The Mobile World subscriber database estimates that Malawi ended last year with just under 1.1 million subscribers - representing a population penetration level of just over 8%. Celtel is the market leader with 60% of the customer base, with Telecom Networks Malawi (TNM) taking the remainder.
Posted to the site on 18th May 2008
Posted to: www.cellular-news.com/story/31233.php