The UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) said the current amount is prohibitive and should be revisited. UNCTAD representative Ian Richards said that international call costs in Zambia are among the highest in southern Africa. High cost of international calls has been frequently cited by investors as contributing to the high cost of doing business in the country, he said.

Richards compared Zambia’s charge with other countries in the region such as Uganda, with a charge of US$ 50,000 and Kenya, which charges US$ 214,000. Cameroon, Gabon and Niger bundle an international gateway license with a GSM license. Richards said many countries in the region have liberalized their international gateways, granting licenses to incumbent mobile operators.

He said that currently, all international calls from all operators are routed through an international gateway operated by Zamtel, Zambia's state-run telecommunication company.

Source: Xinhua - WDR/Intelecon Regulatory News