Malawi invites bids for fourth cellular network

The Malawi government is inviting applications for the operation of a fourth cellular network in the Southern African country.

The Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (Macra) says government has decided to grant a licence to a new mobile operator to ensure that there is stiff competition in the mobile phone industry.

“We need more competition, as is the case is in many countries in the region. “Look at countries like Tanzania and South Africa – they have more than two or three mobile operators,” says Macra public relations officer Zamdziko Mankhambo.

He says interested firms should submit their applications by July 25.

Malawi, with about one-million active mobile phone subscribers, has two cellular network operators – Celtel Malawi, a subsidiary of pan-African mobile network operator Celtel, and TNM, owned by the Southern African country’s Press Corporation.

Malawi advertised for a third mobile network operator last year but has yet to grant a licence, despite receiving bids from five companies. South Africa-based Econet Wireless and US-based Millennium Global Telecom are the favourites to get the licence.

Mankhambo says Macra will grant licences for the third and fourth cellular network operators as soon as government appoints a new board of directors for the authority, after the dissolution of the previous one.

Malawi’s Minister of Information and Civic Education, Patricia Kaliati, who is also the government spokesperson, says government is expected to announce a new board of directors for Micra shortly.

She says there is a need for new mobile phone network opera-tors in Malawi that will penetrate into rural areas, which are not served by the existing opera- tors.

“Government is of the view that the introduction of the new mobile operators will help it advance towards reaching its goal of universal access to telecom- munication facilities. “It will also ensure that the existing operators maintain affordable calling rates owing to stiff competition,” says Kaliati.