Zambia Issues 21-Day Ultimatum to Telecom Operators Over Poor Network Quality

The Zambia Information and Communication Technology Authority (ZICTA)  has issued a 21-day ultimatum to the country’s major telecom and tower companies, ordering them to implement immediate and measurable improvements in the quality, reliability, and resilience of electronic communication services. The ultimatum follows growing national frustration over deteriorating network performance, dropped calls, and poor internet connectivity affecting both urban and rural communities. During a joint briefing attended by chief executives from Airtel, MTN, Zamtel, Zed Mobile, IHS, and Infratel, ZICTA Director General Eng.

Collins Mbulo declared that “the people of Zambia are no longer pleading, they are demanding” better service. Eng. Mbulo emphasized that poor service quality undermines productivity, public trust, and innovation, adding that ZICTA’s tolerance has officially ended, and that strict enforcement measures will now be applied to ensure compliance.

As part of the directive, ZICTA has mandated all licensed operators to implement binding corrective actions focused on infrastructure investment and energy resilience. These include:

• Immediate investment to increase network capacity and expand coverage, particularly in rural and underserved regions.
• Installation of robust backup power systems at all hub sites to ensure uninterrupted connectivity during power outages.
• Deployment of sustainable energy solutions, such as solar and hybrid power systems, to reduce downtime and ensure network stability

In a strong message to tower infrastructure providers, Infratel and IHS have been given 21 days to submit a detailed and time-bound action plan outlining redundancy measures for all communication towers. Eng. Collins Mbulo warned that the directives would, by obligation, affect mobile network operators since their networks depend on IHS and Infratel, and he cautioned that failure to comply would result in regulatory consequences.

He reiterated that ZICTA will not compromise on standards, stressing that any provider failing to meet prescribed Quality of Service (QoS) benchmarks will face regulatory sanctions. The Authority plans to aggressively monitor compliance through published QoS guidelines that track network availability, accessibility, and customer complaint data collected via the toll-free number 7070.

ZICTA also confirmed it is open to innovative energy solutions, including hybrid systems optimized by AI, as long as they deliver consistent and reliable service.
These interventions form part of Zambia’s broader digital transformation and connectivity agenda, aimed at creating a resilient, consumer-centric, and innovation-driven telecommunications ecosystem. The regulator’s message was clear: ZICTA is now demanding accountability, results, and excellence from all licensed telecom operators.