The Zambia Information and Communications Technology Authority (ZICTA) has instituted criminal proceedings against three mobile phone service providers for poor service delivery, the Times of Zamiba reported. ZICTA has sued Airtel Zambia, MTN Zambia and Zamtel to protect public interests, as they had failed to meet minimum standards of service. ZICTA public relations manager Ngabo Nankonde said this had had a negative effect on the ease of doing business in Zambia so the authority has resolved to take remedial action.
Under the published Quality of Service Guidelines, ZICTA had the option to invoke either administrative or criminal sanctions arising from the failure to adhere to the set parameters. The mobile service providers are facing two counts of failure to meet minimum standards of quality of service contrary to Section 67 of the Information and Communication Technologies Act No. 15 of 2009. Nankonde said the second count was failure to comply with provision of the Quality of Service Guidelines issued by the authority contrary to the same Act. The criminal proceedings were instituted on 14 July.
