Macra issue mobile operator licence: Lacell to roll out ‘quality services’ in Malawi

Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (Macra) has formally issued out a 10 year licence to mobile telecommunication service provider Lacell Private Limited.

A woman browses the internet trough her mobile phone
A woman browses the internet trough her mobile phone
New phone company for Malawi, Lacell
New phone company for Malawi, Lacell

Speaking during the presentation ceremony in Blantyre, Macra boss Godfrey Itaye the country has high expectations from Lacell to provide “quality service.”

He said the coming in of another player in the telecommunication industry will “increase competition”.

Said Itaye: “Competition is good, it benefits the consumer on prices and quality of service so that consumers get what they pay for.”

There has been disappointment from Malawians at times with the quality of services being offered by existing companies that are characterised by high rates of prices and dropped calls.

Lacell chairperson Farook Satar said the company is ready to roll out its services and promised “ high quality service.”

Satar said his company is expected to provide hundreds of jobs to Malawians, in addition to reaching the rural masses by providing facilities which will “facilitate easy access to telecommunications services.”

The other cellular network operators in the Southern African country are Airtel Malawi, a subsidiary of Pan-African mobile operator Balti, and TNM, which is owned by Malawian conglomerate Press Corporation.

The two established mobile phone network service providers share a market of over 1, 5-million subscribers, and the Malawi government intends granting further mobile phone network licences in order to increase the number of phone users in the country, which has a 13-million-strong population.

Two other telecommunication operators, G-Mobile and Celcom have failed to roll out.

Celcom has a licence awarded under the terms of dual fixed and mobile telephony provision, which when it was awarded in May 2011 it was required to launch services within 18 months.

The rollout deadline was subsequently postponed three times and is fighting in court against the revocation of its operating licence.

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Sandram
Sandram
8 years ago

This is beautiful Satar, Malawi needs people like you that can give citizens jobs, to have another service will help us a lot not only in competition with other services but in employing people of Malawi and better service. Go ahead lacell!!!

Titus scot
Titus scot
8 years ago

The more the competition, the better the tariffs and the better the quality of service. Wina alira!

kingsley Ngozo
8 years ago

This is great like in Zimbabwe lots of mobiles companies why not here please allow more companies to flood in for real competetion on the market and the existing companies will be challenged too . Please go aheead we need more.

chechisyano
8 years ago

goodmove

chechisyano
8 years ago

good move

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