The Nigerian Communications Commission has cut interconnection rates, the fees operators charge one another to carry calls between their networks, in an effort to reduce the cost of voice calls for consumers. The commission has announced new rates for incumbents, smaller players and newcomers that will decline at the beginning of April each year for the next three years.

The current rate is N8,20/minute (R0,48) across all networks. From 1 April, new entrants (operators that have been in the country for less than four years) and smaller players (those with market share of less than 7,5%) will receive N6,40/minute (R0,38) in interconnection fees from other operators. Next year this will fall to N5,20 (R0,31) and to N3,90 (R0,23) from April 2015.

Incumbent operators, meanwhile, will receive termination rates of N4,90/minute (R0,29) from 1 April, dropping to N4,40 (R0,26) next year and N3,90 (R0,23) in 2015.

South Africa adopted a similar three-year reduction in interconnection rates that has resulted the cost of retail voice calls falling dramatically. Source: Nigeria Communications Week

Ghana says no 4G in near future
Ghana’s National Communications Authority does not plan to issue fourth-generation (4G) licences to the country’s six mobile network operators any time soon. However, those wishing to offer 4G services can “refarm” portions of their existing spectrum allocations in order to do so. This comes despite the regulator having issued three licences aimed at newcomers to the mobile market that will allow them to offer 4G services. Source: Cellular-news

Zambia’s Zamtel plans 4G launch
The Zambia Telecommunication Company (Zamtel) wants to expand its network coverage of the country’s rural areas with 400 new antennae that will offer 2G and 3G services. The operator also plans to roll out Zambia’s first 4G network, beginning with coverage in Livingstone. The move comes in preparation for the forthcoming United Nations World Tourism Organisation general assembly in order to provide delegates with high-speed connectivity. Source: Lusaka Times

MTN Nigeria fined for poor service quality
The mobile operator has been fined N90m (R5,3m) by the Nigerian Communications Commission for the poor quality of service offered by its network between July and December last year. MTN failed to meet the regulator’s key performance indicators and the fine is to be paid by 3 April.

The move comes ahead of the forthcoming introduction of number portability that will allow consumers to switch networks without losing their phone numbers and it’s hoped this will encourage operators to improve service quality or risk losing customers to rivals. Source: Punch