By Brenda Kayo:
President Peter Mutharika is frustrated over network disruptions that are crippling telecommunications services across the country, Information Minister Shadric Namalomba said Thursday.
The government has since handed Airtel Malawi and TNM a three-month ultimatum to resolve the problem.
Namalomba said this during a visit to Airtel Malawi’s offices in Lilongwe, where the minister confronted the operators over ongoing service failures.
“We entered this year expecting improvements but network problems are still persisting. The President called me and directed that this issue be addressed urgently,” he said.
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He also warned the public against vandalising fibre-optic infrastructure, saying such acts worsened network disruptions and compounded challenges facing the sector.
Airtel Malawi acting Managing Director Abdul Shaikh said the company was implementing measures to enhance network performance, while acknowledging that progress is being slowed by structural constraints.
Shaikh cited acute foreign exchange shortages as a major obstacle limiting the company’s capacity to upgrade its systems, noting that Airtel Malawi requires at least $65 million to procure additional equipment that is necessary for it to expand network capacity.
He further said a rapid surge in subscriber numbers was placing pressure on existing infrastructure, thereby complicating efforts to maintain service quality.
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“Within six months, we expect to address some of these challenges. We are also engaging the Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority on the matter,” Shaikh said.
