With the Telecel license issue now sorted, Zimbabweans are now waiting for the two week interconnection blackout between the company and Econet to end. We have been testing ourselves since yesterday if calls from either network are going through to the other. We have only had success calling Telecel numbers from an Econet sim card since yesterday afternoon. This points to the fact that just Telecel for now has opened up its network.
Telecel opening up? Yes. Interconnection is a two way game and both sides need to open up their network to receive calls from the other. When Econet terminated interconnection with Telecel exactly two weeks ago, Telecel followed suit and disconnected them too.
But people failing to call Econet numbers may mean we are back to the traffic throttling squabble that started all this. We contacted Econet for an official position on the matter and so far they haven’t responded. So it’s all just speculation at this stage; maybe they are waiting for official communication from POTRAZ, or the government, or maybe a ‘request to be reconnected’ letter from Telecel, who knows!
Share
Home
5 comments
unofficially Econet has said they are not opening up network to Telecel as they are practicising in an uncompetitive manner. So much for following the law eh. EcoNOT
Yes its official in a letter sent to the regulatory authorities, Econet wireless has flatly refused to connect with Telecel. They have changed goal posts and are now arguing that it was never about the licencing but rather about the fact that Telecel paid less than them in the initial licensing installment. Whose fault is it if your top negotiating teams failed to strike a good deal after all the 20 year license can be paid in agreed installments and never in our recent history has any player offered to pay upfront the full amount including Econet. At the end of the day you are making ordinary subscribers suffer while you pursue petty narrow profiteering ambitions. the world is watching. now you are playing regulator???
no connection yet maybe it was by mere coincidence. then the bigger question is now why are the tarrifs still as high as they are for now considering the massive giveaways that are on the table. remember with advancement of technology services get cheaper. consider the telecel give away, the buddie zone give away, and the netone give away too and as well the unlimited internet access(though not that pleasing) from powertel.
the bigger picture is these guys need money flowing into their account but it should be reasonable. back in time I got to hate econet for bragging about per second/usage billing – why was this so considering they had been taking our monies from us which was not fair at all. I think Econet should make very little noise about some products they offer as in some countries these services are cheaper – they have the most expensive charges on their internet services, they offer those lights which are hardly lighting enough for the noise made about them – credit of coz the can get for the ecocash facility but I am on unhappy subscriber on this network.
Then comes the issue of interconnectivity – was this their baby. Whilst it holds water that it was illegal for Telecel to operate without a valid licence, this issue should have been soled amicably without affecting us as citizens of this beautiful and peaceful country with such effect being felt in the long run had Telecel not complied with the rules and regulations of the country(POTRAZ as the overseer). OK, as if that was due – what has been the stumbling block that is having this unfair treatment of us as subscribers failing to interconnect. In some circles I have read that Econet is probably waiting for a letter from Telecel, whilst along the same lines there is talk of official communication from POTRAZ. I am of low access to such information but again is it not our concern too that we should be addressed when these issues come up.
I now end my contribution and opinion over the whole situation and the communications sector in Zimbabwe – GUYS (Econet, Telecel, NetOne, Powertell, Africom, UMax, Brodacom(m not sure it still operating) and all other mobile services providers – please give us value for our money. One thing for sure is that whilst we compare our services with those offered in the region and the international platform, it us again who make ourselves leaders and have those other players regionally and internationally as well copying from us how we run our business – then under such circumstances we can start advancing very well.
PS: POTRAZ can yu please allow for BBM(blackberry messenger servce) iyaaaaaaaah
They better hurry, I am halfway moving all my collegues to Telecel where I can chat with them for free. I dont think there is anything special with Econet services that will keep me there except to maintain my number!
[…] This is the money paid by network operators to each other to allow call termination across networks. Some of us remember those fees after that 2013 tiff between Econet and Telecel that resulted in a communication blackout which lasted for weeks between numbers for the two operators. […]