Five telecoms firms fined 112m/- for ‘poor services’

KATARE MBASHIRU

The Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA) Director General Dr Ally Simba addresses a news conference on regulatory action against Vodacom, Tigo, SMART and Zantel noncompliance to fair play and provision of quality services to customers. Right is TCRA’s Head of Corporate Communications, Mr Innocent Mungy. (Photo by Mohamed Mambo)

THE Tanzania Communication Regulatory Authority (TCRA) has fined five telecommunications service providers a total of 112.5m/- for failing to abide by the quality of service regulation requirements.

Because of poor services to their customers, TCRA has, therefore, ordered every operator to pay the fines by March 24, 2016.

TCRA Director General (DG), Dr Ally Simba, told a news conference in Dar es Salaam that Airtel Tanzania Limited will have to pay 22.5m/-, Vodacom Tanzania Limited 27.5m/-, MIC Tanzania Limited (Trading as Tigo) 25m/-, Zanzibar Telecom Limited (Trading as Zantel) 25m- and Benson Informatics Limited (Trading as Smart) 12.5m/-.

According to the DG, in the course of exercising its regulatory functions, TCRA performs tests on quality of service (QoS) for both voice and data services from the end user viewpoints.

“The measurements are carried out in fulfillment of the requirements of the Electronic and Postal Communications (Quality of Service) Regulations, 2011, and during the period of October to December 2015, the authority carried out QoS measurements in Dar es Salaam service area on the five operators,’’ he noted.

According to him, on December 18, the authority issued a compliance order to operators pursuant to Section 45 of the TCRA Act, ordering the licencees to appear before the authority on December 28, 2015 to explain why legal actions should not be instituted against them for failure, refusal or neglect to comply with the targets on QoS parameters for the months of October to December last year.

“Having heard the operators’ defence and considering the operators’ written submissions, it is clear that the five operators were in contravention of the regulations, and considering the licencee’s admittance to the non-compliance with the targets of QoS parameters and operators’ willingness to resolve the problems on the coverage, TCRA decided to enforce the provisions of regulation 15 of the Elctronic and Postal Communications (QoS) Regulations,’’ he explained.

Dr Simba said by virtue of the law, TCRA decided to impose sanctions for violations of law by licencees under the terms of their licences thus imposing penalties. The five operators have been given a grace period of one month to settle their penalties and if they fail to pay by March 24, TCRA will revoke their licences, according to the DG.

“TRCA reminds all operators to ensure that all services offered are in compliance with the requirements of the QoS regulations, and the authority will continue to carry out QoS tests in different service areas in each quarter,” said Dr Simba adding that repeated non-compliance would attract more legal and regulatory actions which may include cancellations of operators’ licences.

In another development, TCRA has ordered Azam Marine Company Limited to immediately stop operating courier services and pay to the authority 5m/- fine for illegally providing services, and apply for the licence immediately.

The Electronic and Postal Communications Act (EPOCA) provides that any person or company that wishes to operate any electronic communications system or offer postal communications, electronic communications or content services shall apply to the authority to acquire a valid licence.

According to the TCRA DG, a team of the TCRA officials visited Azam Marine Company Limited for the purpose of investigating illegal courier business of the company and established that it was illegally receiving letters and parcels to and from Zanzibar and Dares Salaam without having a courier licence.

Meanwhile, TCRA yesterday fined Rifaro Africa Limited to pay 10m/- for providing services without a certificate issued by the authority. According to TCRA, the company has been using VAS SMS CODE 15420 without a certificate, contrary to the law and that after considering the circumstances arising from the hearing, on balance probabilities and having scrutinised the company, TCRA decided to fine Rifaro Africa Limited.

“The authority would like to advise the public that Rifaro Africa Limited does not have a licence from TCRA. The company had a certificate of numbering Resource Assignment for VAS SMS CODE 15420 only for the purpose of creating an SMS based application to link with their website to collect information from their airtime agents and distributors, and it expired in July last year,” said Dr Simba.