Reuters reports that MTN Group will slash international call rates by about 40 percent in Zambia after the southern African country opened up access to and cut the licensing fees for international gateway facilities.
Zamtel, the country’s fixed-line phone operator, used to control the sole gateway and charged private operators high fees for using it, but Zambia last week allowed other operators to set up their own facilities and cut the five-year international gateway licensing fee to $300,000 from $8 million.
“Some destinations including Canada, China and the U.S., which (combined) form our fifth most called destination, have had their charges reduced by more than 80 percent,” Farhad Khan, MTN Zambia’s CEO told Reuters.
He said call charges to countries such as South Africa, Namibia, Botswana and Tanzania had been reduced by 45 percent, and the firm hoped this would help attract more subscribers.
“Although our target for this year is 1.5 million subscribers, we are aiming to exceed this and will definitely achieve the 2 million subscriber mark in the first half of 2011,” Khan said.
MTN competes with India’s Bharti Airtel in Zambia and state-owned Cell Z.
[Reuters]
this is good news. i hope other operators will follow soon.
Watch out more money call from mabululu.
Those of who looking for evidence of benefits to the Zambia public the sale of ZAMTEL has brought, there is a first salvo for a plethora of great things to come. We told you the economist was in charge and you watch how the accelerated trickle down of the economic benefits to our masses will happen this year and next year. And yes I hear you PF cadres screaming MTN has been bribed to to reduce prices so MMD can rig elections. And am sure while you are at it will accuse Hon VJ as usual.
Anyway Losers, this great country is powering forward. We are putting real more money into people’s pockets. And Want to take this opportunity to appeal to all card carrying members to register for elections and also encourage their close friends and families to do so.
““Some destinations including CANADA, China and the U.S., which (combined) form our fifth most called destination, have had their charges reduced by more than 80 percent,” Farhad Khan, MTN Zambia’s CEO told Reuters.”
This is great news. This is what liberalization of the economy can achieve. Lower rates due to competition. This is also a good step at enhancing ICT in Zambia.
Well done MTN and a big step for free-market economics in Zambia.
Great News. One of the reasons I may be voting MMD in 2011. Cheap communication for us in diaspora is very important. I am surprised MTN has not included UK as one of the frequently called areas????:o:-?
Good news!!! Barely a few days after the partial sale of Zaqmtel, the benefits are already there for all to see.Zambia’s doubting Thomas s have been slapped on the face. We as MMD we know what is good for our people because they are our Masters. Government leadership is not for Jokers like Sata, its for serious people. Bravo!!! Chief Bootliker, Mwata, Senoir Citizen and many other wise bloggers
Thanks MMD Bootlicker 4 joining me in my calls 4 people particularly those in the diaspora to tell our people back home to register 4 2011.The country is over ripe 4 change.
Price of bag of mealie meal is going down. International call charges are coming down and yet there still some people who wish to portray the country as a disaster zone such as Afghanistan or Somalia. This is good news for all those enterprising Zambians who want to engage in international business. Great news.
Great news indeed. Hope Zain would soon slash down their tariffs too.
chawama, no xqz muletutuminako. twanaka ama beep.
Well noted. All can claim what they may, but my point is this that it did not need Zamtel to be privatised for them to reduce the International Gateway from $8million to $300,000! This issue if you recall was always fought by Celtel! Meaning even at that time as Zamtel, if Govt had realised the astronomical rate and reduced, MTN would have reduced rates whether Zamtel was not sold! This only goes to show how the guilty are trying to make it look like it’s the sale of Zamtel that had resulted in this when it’s just a conscious decision of Govt to reduce on the outrageous rates! Whether Privatised or not! Interesting developments in Zambia!!!
#10 You ve made my evening. Going to bed laughing. Baletumako Ama beeping..Hahahaha!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This is the works of a great government. We are waiting on Satan to argue that the sale of Zamtel is not behind this. MMD has the brain power and believe me we are in control and our economy will flourish. Ichilema knows the truth thats why he is quite. PF will be shocked when Ichilema announces his merger with MMD just like the honorable Nevers Mumba with NCC. Politics are just as dirty as people who participate in it. If you are so clean please go to church and live politics for politicians
I am proud to be MMD Chief Boot Licker and my contribution to my country and government. For yall information, I have 3 kids, Two at University in South Africa and 1 at UNZA in Zambia. Im sure my children are more on a good path to success than half of kaponyas here. It is important to have facts before you open your poor and uneducated mouth! With or without MMD I will remain The Chief Boot Licker! My salary alone has served 19 street kids from Lusaka! Yes there is a reason people call me MMD Chief Boot Licker!
Ba MMD CHIEF BOOTLICKER-A u having a heart attack or what?
By the time i will have three kids old enough to be at university,i believe i will be even more wiser and mature enough not to post childish comments and argue all day with the so called kaponyas,lest i will be mistaken for a kaponya myself.who knows,maybe one of the so called kaponya’s could be my own son who has a different opinion about mmd. I pity the fool
btw;no names mentioned;he who feels it knows it
Now Zambia needs VoIP!!
#16 Redcard
Just shutup if you have nothing to say!!!! Utubantu utu without brains just blogging anything. Go back to work ur break is over! Wempenfu iwe!!!!
#18 kalos2020
Looks like i’ve struck a fragile nerve on ya mate
like i said he who feels it knows it
DEUCES:)>-
Well done Dora Siliya to sell that loss making ZAMTEL we are already seeing that benefits,for once my family will be able to call me direct from Zambia not just atuma TXs messages beeping even when their numbers do not show (caller ID).MMD do not give up your policies are now maturing,we can now truely see the benefits of your good economic management at work.Ama taba mbwe in the country what else do you need you Kaponyas?
#19 Never mind about this chap Kalos 20 Zero he’s depressed because his uncle can not think,i mean SATANA.He ha s no advisers,he can’t write speeches what he dreams about becomes an election promise ,he can not even cost his pronouncements ,never lives in Leshina days.
#Kalos2020 my humble advice to you young man is if you do not have anything meaningful to contribute please just read and forget about blogging .You think that you own LT,am sorry you are just one the few bloggers who use this site .Do not be over emotional ,for sweet nothing .Debate with your brains and not your heart young man.Think about it my boy.Am just advising you my boy.
#17 VoIP seems to be on the road map now…they have owez allowed VoIP within organizations ,but not international ones,though I was asked to help set up one of the international VoIP systems,so I guess ZCTA/CAZ has not way to find out.
We are so behind in ICT,it’s sometimes disheartening, but I keep telling myself that I should stick around and help this country…I hope I will
It is a very good move by govt however, let us wait and see how long the will last. MTN should also consider reducing rates at home where the MMD is based. Thumbs up anyway.
I will reverse the charges …… people do not phone calls.
I thot the gateway charges benefited zambia through Zamtel of which was being abused by MMD govt. MMD has enjoyed, & has disabled Zamtel as if that was not enough, they dubiously sold it & currently RP capital is racking in money from evaluations. This is the way it looks for those blind gullible gabbling goblets like CHIEF BOOTLICKER.Dora, RB & Henry will benefit from the sale permanantly & now see no need of letting Zamtel bring revenue for the benefit of zambians. Yes, we wil have time to call our families but it all cancels out-someone has gone with the bigger chunk of the cake.
This is loosening our national security. I would rather we allowed America to establish a military base in LSK like Rwanda did & they are now seeing development from being ravaged by war. U little brainedPrick
Now u pipo back home have no excuse to call international, just call and we can talk, cos if you page me , i page u bak , alrite.
Those pipo who like to page, its not nice , if you dont have credit, then dont use the phone.:d:d
So this means if the call charge to USA was US$2.24 per minute we shall now pay US$1.24 per minute or K6,300 per minute? This is still too high for business callers based in a kwacha economy. I only hope its just the start because I see MTN being beaten to it by the new owners of Zamtel who will charge US$0.24 per minute for wholesale international calls using their Hub in Tripoli or is it Bengazi via the submarine cable network..I was talking to one of the workers of the new owners who said they are extremly impressed with the expertise of local staff they found at Zamtel and instead of spending more money in training they will increase the investment pool to US$1.0 billion by end of 2011. Now thats confidence!!! MTN beware!!!! No more huge profits and luxuries.
Some of you zambians are so gullible it makes me ashamed to be zambian. The govt could have made these changes a long time ago but they where just waiting for the time when they could use it to blind people and stop them complaining about the sell of Zamtel. Its like mwe bambi you wash your face upwards. Wake up people!
How about calling to Zambia from the diaspora? Zambia is one of the most expensive countries to call from abroad. Calling the poor is indeed very expensive because when you compare with other African countries, Europe and America, you get more talk time for the same amount of money than calling to Zambia.
MMD Chief Boot Licker you suck! Why send your children to South Africa for education? If your government was serious with education, you would have your kids in Zambian universities. Just because you get crumbs from licking william banda’s boots does not make you wise and call us kaponyas. We have struggled to be were we are despite coming from very humble backgrounds, so don’t compare us to your kids who are just enjoying the fruits of plundered resources. Selling Zamtel was not entirely wrong but the procedure was wrong, the amount was cheap, RB capital and lupiya’s sons will benefit more.
Fantastic plan we are proud to be part of zambia.Just hoping that zain will slash down their triffs.Go zed keep up the hard work.:)>-:x:d/:)
Light at the end of the tunnel? KK’s words some years back when discussing an envisaged turnaround in Zambia’s economy.The analysts of the day cautioned KK that it might be a train hurtling towards him and he needed to get out of the way. We know what happened in October 1991. The question that beggars belief on the $8million gateway fee is, if Zamtel was charging that level of fee, why was Zamtel in such “dire” straits? Mismanagement? Could not be because the State has eyes and ears in all quasi- government bodies! The only plausible reason is that Zamtel money found its way into State coffers to meet some other expenditure. There is a news item regarding non-payment of wages on-time to Civil servants.WE await details of a payment of $12.5 million FACILITATION FEE over the Zamtel…
#29 Coco, Sir, I do not think it is about us Zambians being gullible. It was more about keeping Zamtel viable and able to to pay its way. The Gateway charges were a very important source of revenue for Zamtel. If the international gateway had been liberalised earlier, Zamtel would have collapsed a long time ago and we should have been talking about liquidation. You will also note that the workers of Zamtel and their union who are important stakeholders are not complaining about the sale. They understand the situation only too well.
#REDCARD
Iwe ka redcard u are nothing just shut the h up mwaiche!!! atase
( #33 continued) WE await details of a payment of $12.5 million FACILITATION FEE over the Zamtel sale to the Libyan organisation.If GRZ is selling openly on the international scene, there are no facilitators required. The Embassies and High Commissions in Zambia have Trade Attaches whose work includes advising their own governments and chambers of commerce on trade and investment opportunities in Zambia.The question of FACILITATION FEES does not arise! As the saying goes…..WHEN THE S…HITS THE FAN etc it really does get going. I cry for mother Zambia:((:((:((:((:((:((
#36 Analyist
If you have no idea of how thingsa are done just sit back and read other blogs than showing ignorance on important topics like the sale of Zamtel.
#36 Kalos2020
If by ” how things are done” means that people in position of trust should profit from national assets on behalf of their families,then its a dog eat dog situation. Perhaps I should refer you to a very simple easy to read and understand work in literature——ANIMAL FARM———read it and get the message.I could refer you to the BIBLE but ….. that would be too much. TOO many Pastors about.:-?
This is good news. MTN even in S.A is very considerate and gives back to its customers as compared to selfish VODACOM which is so expensive. Am changing networks;)
silly move. we want them to cut on domestic charges. how many of our dear citizens make calls outside. its like the way i felt when Magande as Finance Minsiter then announced a duty reduction on forklifts. this is meant to benefit a few individuals and not the majority. cut on Internet rates, Local Call rates, inter networks calls etc and not this s***t.and for all this some of our grizzy headed bloggers would want to congratulate them. for what i suppose.
What is the Technolgy, works, Information depts etc doin, these are the issues they are supposed to be addressin, Zambia is so bacwards compared to other African countries wen it comes to technology, we still live in the cave ages, Technolgy is very important wen it comes to doing business, its not just for communicating with frends and famliy, look at Kenya, they have a good infrastructure, and are benefiting from it. there are a lot of foregn companies investing in Kenya cos of this, plz zambia , wake up and make some thing for ur self.
What is the Technolgy, works, Information depts etc doin, these are the issues they are supposed to be addressin, Zambia is so bacwards compared to other African countries wen it comes to technology, we still live in the cave ages, Technolgy is very important wen it comes to doing business, its not just for communicating with frends and famliy, look at Kenya, they have a good infrastructure, and are benefiting from it. there are a lot of foregn companies investing in Kenya cos of this, plz zambia ,
We are a working government and I am urging you to call all your friends and families to vote for MMD in order to continue enjoying the fruits. Satan and Ichilema say will reverse the sale of Zamtel and this will be a big blow on the rates
Go MTN Go!! This is a good move for MTN; we hope to see lower data [internet] charges next.
maybe this will reduce the new behavior i saw i zambia.talking very fast ,even when its you that have called .saying bye first even if they did not call u first .nokuseka fast sana.on serious note everythng in zed is expensive -making a phone call,buying fuel .air-travelling .and everytime some sucker can explain and justify why it is like that .making the lives of zambians bearable is long overdue
calling the USA,china or japan is K1500per minute on MTN.which goat or donkey danda head is sayin 6pin? stop usin the telephone directory or katondo exchange rates to calculate, you are misleading our bululu in the diaspora.
The Ad’s are running on the front page of every daily.
So all my people in the diaspora can page me! i can call back. easily!!!
tefyo? lol
This is completely unrelated to the story…just a comment on the black man in the picture, does he look st.up.id or what?:d