Econet, ZOL, NetOne & Others Face Heavy Fines for Slow Internet and Dropped Calls
The Zimbabwean government is tightening the reins on telecommunications companies and internet service providers, with new regulations aimed at improving service quality. Firms like Econet, NetOne, Liquid Telecom, and TelOne now face fines for failing to meet standards, with penalties reaching up to US$5,000.
Under regulations gazetted by Information Communication Technology Minister Tatenda Mavetera last Friday, the government has set clear guidelines to ensure that customers receive reliable service. These changes are part of Statutory Instrument 154 of 2024, the Postal and Telecommunications (Quality of Service) (Amendment) Regulations, 2024 (No. 1). The Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ) will enforce these rules.
Zimbabwe Introduces Fines for Slow Internet, Dropped Calls and SMS Delivery Time
Telecommunications companies will be assessed based on several key performance indicators over three months. These indicators include service quality for SMS, fixed data, and internet, interconnection links, and network performance. Violations such as high call drop rates, call setup failures, and poor data service success rates will incur a fine of US$200 per breach.
For SMS, breaches in delivery times and success rates will also result in a US$200 penalty per violation, while internet service providers failing to meet speed requirements will face fines of up to US$5,000 per infringement.
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Mixed Reactions from the Public
When Government spokesperson Nick Mangwana announced the fines on X (formerly Twitter), Zimbabweans exploded with a variety of responses. While some welcomed the development, others questioned whether the fines would be enough to motivate real change. Some also pointed out that external factors, such as electricity shortages, can impact service delivery. Here are some of the reactions:
@KMutisi:
That’s nothing…. They won’t mind paying that …. A fine should be a deterrent, not this corporate massage
@DezMunetsi:
Haisi nhau yemagetsi here
@brianjdube:
That’s very good, because that amounts to fraud , you can’t make people pay for a service you can’t provide.
@phineassimbara1:
How do you monitor and judge poor service delivery? Will this also extend to Netone, Telecel and Telone who are owned by government?
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