Two million Zimbabweans lose cell phone contact
By Alex Bell
18 April 2011
About two million Zimbabweans have had their cell phones cut off by the
government Telecommunications Authority, for failing to register their sim
cards.
The Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (Potraz)
has announced that at least 2.1 million Econet Wireless and Telecel
subscribers have been disconnected. The authority had set the end of March
as the deadline for the registration of the estimated nine million cell
phone users in the country.
Figures from the authority show that 1.4 million Econet users have been
disconnected while 700,000 were Telecel subscribers.
Last August the government authority ordered cell phone operators to
register all mobile users to “combat criminal activities,” and abuse of
mobile communications.
But according to international research firm, IHS Global Insight, this
mobile registration process has the potential to stall growth in the
telecommunications sector. The international think-tank warned in a report
that the requirement might jeopardise the goal of access to mobile phone
service for all.
“The introduction of mandatory registration of sim cards in at least 10
countries, has resulted in a dramatic slowdown in subscriber growth and will
see the disconnection of millions of unregistered subscribers,” IHS Global
Insight warned in a recent report.