Opportunity: Provision of mobile telephone services
Client: Communications Authority
Promoter: The Zambia Development Authority
Project description: The project seeks investors to provide mobile phone and other value added services. The Ministry of Communication and Transport through the National ICT policy, expects the licensees to provide lower tariffs increase ICT penetration.
Market: Currently there are 3 operators, one of them wholly owned by Zambia's government. The current market size stands at an estimated three million customers.
Availability of inputs: Frequency spectrum including GSM 1800, 3G, WIMAX is available
Infrastructure: The existing mobile operators have infrastructure mainly in GSM 900 over microwave and leased fibre in some cases. ZESCO, the power company, has laid and is leasing 2.5Gbps fibre stretching from Sesheke-Livingstone, Lusaka, Copperbelt, Solwezi to Lumwana, covering a distance of about 1,700km. This covers about 60% of the population. About 3,500km is required to cover an estimated 80% of the population by fibre technology.
Incentives available: Incentives are provided for in various acts such as the ZDA Act, and the Income Tax Act.
Licences needed: The potential investor is expected to comply with the provisions of the Companies Act. Specifically, the investor must obtain an operating licence, including frequency and spectrum, as required under the Telecommunications Act (www.caz.zm), and other regulations.
For further information on applying for licences to operate contact the Zambia Development Agency.
Key contact: Florence Mumba
Director: Investment Promotion and Privatisation
Zambia Development Agency
Email: fmumba@zda.org.zm
