Mobile Service Provider, Malawi Gov't Relations Sour

As the relationship between the Malawian government and mobile service provider Zain sours, the Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA) has warned Zain to cease its aggressive advertising campaign until the company improves its network.

Zain Malawi is currently rebranding from Celtel after the company was bought by Zain of Kuwait in August, and the company is rolling out advertisements on all major highways.

The Malawi government, however, has complained that the company's failing network is making it hard for senior government officials to communicate locally and internationally.

"Zain should not aggressively roll out advertisement, luring customers to join the network, before improving the network," said MACRA board chairman Thengo Maloya said, calling the network's failure embarrassing.

Zain is among the operators that the Malawian government claims has embarrassed President Mbingu Wamutarika by terminating the president's conversations with other international leaders due to network failure.

Zain Malawi recently disclosed that network experts from Sweden, Japan and German are rapidly working to integrate new software and hardware to boost product availability and network capacity in the country.

MACRA is currently holding meetings with mobile operators in the country on the need to improve their networks.

In Zambia, Zain is facing the same problem of network failure. The Communications Authority of Zambia has already directed Zain management to improve the network or face punishment.