The Communications Authority of Zambia (CAZ) has confirmed it will suspend issuing spectrum licences until the country's Supreme Court rules on a case involving a court order granted to Vodacom Zambia. The CAZ lost a bid in the Lusaka High Court to give a licence to an unnamed international mobile operator seeking to become the country's fourth mobile service provider. Instead, the court ruled that Vodacom Zambia be given a licence to become the fourth mobile operator, and thereafter, the CAZ could invite a fifth provider. South Africa-based Vodacom had sought an injunction restraining the CAZ from issuing the fourth licence to any company other than Vodacom Zambia. The CAZ wanted to block Vodacom from becoming the country's fourth provider, claiming that the company failed to meet the licence requirements. The court order also stops the CAZ from handling tenders for related technology including Wimax. The case goes back to when Vodacom applied for a licence in 2001 and was awarded one. However, the CAZ later backtracked, claiming that it did not have enough frequencies to give to Vodacom after all. In 2004, the Zambian government, through the Ministry of Communications and Transport, reallocated frequencies to the CAZ. The CAZ, however, did not go back to assign the frequencies to Vodacom, but instead cancelled the licence, claiming the company failed to meet the licence conditions.
