As mobile phone service providers in Zambia move to roll-out mobile Internet services, even to remote rural areas, consumers have bemoaned the high cost of Internet bundles and the unfair conditions attached to Internet services.
It is alleged that Internet bundle subscribers are paying more for fewer services, and have to forfeit credit if it is not used within a given timeframe.
Zambia Consumer Association (ZACA) executive secretary Muyunda Ililonga said competition in the country's telecoms sector should have order and quality customer care to immensely benefit consumers.
However, despite the competition in the sector, Ililonga said Internet services have remained poor, while customers are punished for not using their Internet bundles within a given timeframe.
Muyunda said ZACA, which protects the interests of consumers in the country, has observed that, even though competition exists in the data market, telecommunications firms are charging exorbitant Internet prices, and are subjecting customers to unfair conditions.
“Telecommunication is a major driver of the economy, which requires all stumbling blocks to be removed. Therefore, the major impact arising from [the] high cost of Internet bundles is the high cost of doing business, which will suffocate the economy,” Ililonga said.
He said the Zambia Information and Communication Technology Authority (ZICTA), the country's telecoms sector regulator, should act against erring mobile service providers in order to protect consumers from exploitation.
Zambia's Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC), a body promoting fair competition and the protection of consumers, has warned service providers against forcing subscribers to use bundles within a given timeframe.
CCPC consumer and public relations director Brian Lingela said forcing subscribers to use credit for Internet bundles by a certain date is illegal, adding that such operators face prosecution.
Despite widespread condemnation, ZICTA has so far not commented on the matter. But last month, it signed an agreement with CCPC that would facilitate the development and review of consumer protection regulation by the two organisations.
SA's MTN subsidiary, MTN Zambia, and Airtel Zambia sell Internet bundles that expire within 30 days.
Zamtel, the country's third mobile service provider, is yet to start selling Internet bundles to customers.
Lingela said CCPC will investigate the matter, and assess whether operators have violated the consumer act under CCPC.
Airtel regulatory manager Jerome Kawesha said the company will soon issue a comprehensive statement on the matter.
The Zambian ICT sector has only about one million Internet users and six million mobile phone users out of a population of 13.2 million.
The failure by Internet service providers (ISPs) to expand services to rural areas, and the cost associated with procuring services and facilities such as computers, has stifled the rollout of Internet services in the country.
Zambia's Internet connectivity is mainly concentrated in urban areas, as traditional ISPs view rural areas as economically unviable to recoup their investments.
Mobile Internet, therefore, provided hope for quick penetration and expansion of Internet services, even in remote rural areas.
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