Minister fires warnings as Vodacom receives new frequency

JIMMY LWANGILI

TANZANIA Communication Regulatory Authority (TCRA) yesterday granted to Vodacom Tanzania a wireless communication that it won through biding recently.

The communication, Radio Spectrum Frequency Resource Licence, was auctioned by TRCA and Vodacom bid for over 10 million US dollars for 700 Megahertz Spectrum.

The auction came after demand for wireless broadband soared due to technological innovation, such as 3G and 4G mobile services, and the rapid expansion of wireless internet services.

TCRA Director General Eng James Kilaba said the licence expire date has been reduced to 15 years instead of 25 years enjoyed in previous days.

He said Vodacom will continue to pay 40,000 US dollars as tax to TCRA every year in the next 15 years of operating the frequency.

Meanwhile, the Minister for Works, Transport and Communications, Mr Isaac Kamwelwe, has challenged telecommunication companies in the country to come up with an alternative measure to tackle mobile phone money conmen.

In recent days a number of mobile money conmen have emerged who send short messages or call and trick phone users to send money thinking are helping their dear ones.

He has issued a one month directive for stakeholders to discuss on how they could refund customers swindled money through their mobile networks by these conmen.

“Telecommunication companies should be responsible for [this sort] of cybercrime since customers are losing money through mobile networks”.

“I believe you really know criminals who involved in this,” Mr Kamwelwe who was the chief guest at the soft occasion of handing over the frequency to Vodacom, said.

The Minister further added that he will propose the government to set some regulations that demand all telecommunication companies to refund customers who lose money after being coned through mobile money transaction.

On his part, the Vodacom Tanzania Acting Managing Director, Mr Hisham Hendi, said the assignment of the spectrum will benefit the telco and the country at large.

“We applaud the government for endorsing the process and TCRA for administering the successful auction. “Having this spectrum will help us in accomplishing our previous 4G network investment plans,” he said. TCRA early said the auctioning preparations of the 700 Megahertz Spectrum took one year to accomplish.