Business / Companies
Telecel engages Potraz over compliance
14 Apr 2015 at 11:43hrs | Views
Telecel Zimbabwe could well be on the way to normalise its compliance issues with the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe which is currently looking at representations from the company.
Speaking on the sidelines of the Innovation Africa Digital Summit this afternoon, Potraz acting director general Engineer Baxton Sirewu said the regulator will soon be updating the nation on the state of affairs at the mobile telecoms firm.
"There are a number of compliance issues regarding the issue of Telecel," he said, refusing to be drawn into the specifics.
"But as a regulator we are working on those and I am happy to say Telecel has since written to us giving us representations and what they think about the issues that have been raised on our side. We are considering those and we will be able to provide an update soon," said Engineer Sirewu.
Meanwhile Potraz has has not ruled out possible entry of new players in the telecommunications sector.
Although admitting that new enquiries from potential new investors had waned in the recent past, Engineer Sirewu said the Government would in the near future introduce 'technology-neutral licensing'.
"The mobile sector is an evolving sector. Previously we used to talk of fixed network operators, mobile network operators and internet access providers, but now in the age of IP networks, these networks have converged.
So our response to that is Converged Licensing Framework where we are saying we need to be technology neutral, and neutral as well as licensing," he said. He however said the process of introducing the new technology-neutral licences could take a bit long as there is need to develop appropriate regulatory measures.
"But we need to work out some policy modalities to accommodate those changes......we have to submit a paper to the Ministry, but our aim is that the framework should be in place by end of this year," said Engineer Sirewu.
Zimbabwe currently has three mobile telecoms firms, namely Telecel Zimbabwe, Econet Zimbabwe and NetOne.
Speaking on the sidelines of the Innovation Africa Digital Summit this afternoon, Potraz acting director general Engineer Baxton Sirewu said the regulator will soon be updating the nation on the state of affairs at the mobile telecoms firm.
"There are a number of compliance issues regarding the issue of Telecel," he said, refusing to be drawn into the specifics.
"But as a regulator we are working on those and I am happy to say Telecel has since written to us giving us representations and what they think about the issues that have been raised on our side. We are considering those and we will be able to provide an update soon," said Engineer Sirewu.
Meanwhile Potraz has has not ruled out possible entry of new players in the telecommunications sector.
"The mobile sector is an evolving sector. Previously we used to talk of fixed network operators, mobile network operators and internet access providers, but now in the age of IP networks, these networks have converged.
So our response to that is Converged Licensing Framework where we are saying we need to be technology neutral, and neutral as well as licensing," he said. He however said the process of introducing the new technology-neutral licences could take a bit long as there is need to develop appropriate regulatory measures.
"But we need to work out some policy modalities to accommodate those changes......we have to submit a paper to the Ministry, but our aim is that the framework should be in place by end of this year," said Engineer Sirewu.
Zimbabwe currently has three mobile telecoms firms, namely Telecel Zimbabwe, Econet Zimbabwe and NetOne.
Source - BH24
