12 December 2022

Zambia’s fourth mobile phone network operator Beeline Telecom will launch operations in January 2023, according to the Zambia Information and Communications Technology Authority (ZICTA).

Beeline Telecom was supposed to launch operations in June 2022, six months after receiving its licence, but was forced to postpone due to COVID-19 related complications.

“We granted extension because the company was unable to commerce operations due to challenges with procurement process owing to COVID-19. But now the company will launch operations on 31 January 2023,” said ZICTA’s manager, legal and regulatory affairs Banji Michelo.

The wholly owned local company said it would invest US$400 million and create more than 450 direct jobs when it commences operations. Beeline Telecom has not disclosed what it intends to invest in, however, ZICTA expects the telco to deploy LTE technology in support of 4G and 5G rollout.