Zimbabwe has become the first Southern African country to launch the full Iridium satellite phone service. The company is still in the midst of a battle with the South African Department of Communications (DOC) for a licence to operate a local service.
NetOne and Econet will be selling a service integrated with cellphone roaming.
"[Zimbabwe has] taken the lead on its neighbours Namibia, Botswana, Zambia and SA in recognising the important role satellite communications can play in developing its economy and in improving the lives of its citizens," says James Rege, Iridium Africa`s director of Government and Regulatory Affairs.
Forty African countries have licensed the service to date.
Zimbabwean customers signing up before the end of September will receive $500 worth of free airtime. Free phones and airtime have also been donated to government ministries. Iridium recently announced drastic reductions in its pricing structure after lower than expected initial sales. By March it had only 10 000 customers worldwide.
Iridium Africa`s sales manager, Paul Fitchet says the Zimbabwean tourist and mining industries have especially welcomed the service. "Many of these industries operate from remote locations where telephone services are limited," he explains.
Meanwhile competitors ICO Global Communications says it hopes to launch its service by the third quarter of next year and Teledesic, founded by Bill Gates and Craig McCaw, has already raised more than $1.5 billion in funding for its satellite phone system.
Iridium Africa says the South African Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (SATRA) has provisionally approved its application for a licence, but now faces the DOC. A recent statement by the department said it did not believe granting an interim service licence at this stage would be in the public interest. Iridium said in a response that its service would be of value to the community in aiding the fight against crime and for community service organisations.
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