The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission has welcomed the awarding of a mobile service operating license to UZi Zambia Limited saying it will grow the communications sector.

CCPC Public Relations Officer Namukolo Kasumpa, said in a statement yesterday that the awarding of an operating licence to UZi Zambia Limited for the provision of mobile network services by the Zambia Information and Communications and Technology (ZICTA), would address some of the concerns that consumers have been raising over service quality in the past.

And Kasumpa stated that mobile operators were increasingly playing an important role in financial inclusion through various innovative money transfer platforms and the use of Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) services.

“The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission welcomes the issuance of the notification of award of licence to UZI Zambia Limited as a fourth mobile-network operator to provide similar services as the three existing mobile operators. The Commission as the primary advocate and regulator for Competition and Consumer welfare in Zambia, therefore, welcomes this development as it will not only offer alternatives to consumers in terms of service provision but will also as expected, offer competition that is beneficial for the growth and innovation of the sector in terms of service width and depth,” Kasumpa stated.

“Through the introduction of the fourth player in the voice and internet services, the Commission expects not only an improvement in the service provision but also the introduction of new services. It is further the expectation of the Commission that the complaints and concerns the consumers have been having with regards to service quality will be a thing of the past.”

Kasumpa hoped that Zambians would benefit from the coming of a fourth mobile operator in terms of having affordable and quality services.

“Mobile operators are increasingly playing an important role not only in communication but also in financial inclusion through various innovative money transfer platforms and the use of Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) services. The Commission therefore has equally high expectations like the citizens of this country with the coming in of the fourth mobile operator. The Commission therefore hopes and trust Uzi Zambia Limited will offer effective competition and further hopes that the consumers will benefit in terms of affordable and quality better services The Commission is of the hope that the market will continue to grow and to attract entry which will both be a vehicle for job creation and alternative service provision. We therefore wish to reiterate our unaverred call for open markets free from encumbrances,” stated Kasumpa.