Government explores VoIP

The Malawi government is looking to devise a fresh policy on how voice-over-internet protocol (VoIP) technology could be applied in the country. At a seminar in Blantyre this week, organised by the Malawi Communications and Regulatory Authority (MACRA), Information Minister Patricia Kaliati told attendees that her ministry had come up with a policy, but Cabinet had not adopted it as it was ‘left wanting’. She challenged participants drawn from MACRA, the sole fixed line operator Malawi Telecommunications Limited (MTL), cellcos Celtel Malawi and Telekom Networks Malawi, among others, to suggest how the policy could be ‘polished up’ to address the government’s concerns.

Kaliati said Cabinet had questioned how the policy was going to benefit the rural masses, something it did not currently cover. ‘Government wants to know how these technologies are going to assist people living in rural areas. That is why we are also appealing to private mobile companies to provide networks in as many rural areas as you can, villagers have handsets but the network is not available. We know you are trying, but you have to do more,’ she said. Turning to VoIP, she added, ‘Voice over IP technologies has revolutionised how telecommunications operators are able to deliver voice and data services. Where VoIP is introduced either on local traffic or international traffic, cost of delivering services has been reduced and savings have been passed over to consumers,’ and appealed to mobile phone operators to draw strategic plans on how VoIP could be applied on their networks. MACRA acting director general Mike Kuntiya said the transmission of VoIP had limitations in terms of capacity and speed as well as costs to consumers in the delivery of services. ‘This is a challenge for telecommunication companies as they try to sustain their incomes in the new environment,’ he said.

New telco to invest USD56 million

Access Communications, Malawi’s newly authorised fixed line provider, intends to invest MWK7.8 billion (USD56 million) in infrastructure development during its 15-year licence period, a Malawi Communication Regulatory Authority (MACRA) official has said. ‘Access Communications intends to build up its own infrastructure as well as utilise possibilities of infrastructure sharing with existing operators in places where the infrastructure and capacity is readily available,’ said Lloyd Momba, Deputy Director of MACRA’s Spectrum Department, adding that negotiations over the finer points of Access’s licence were expected to take place in the next three months, including the date by which services are expected to be launched. MACRA issued a licence to Access as the countries second national operator to provide fixed telephony on 25 May 2007. TeleGeography estimates that at the end of 2006, Malawi had just 113,000 fixed lines in operation, all provided by incumbent Malawi Telecommunications Ltd (MTL).