Five cellphone firms fined Sh112m for breaching rules

Dar es Salaam. The Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA) has fined five mobile phone companies a total of Sh122.5 million for violating Electronic and Postal Communications (Quality of Service) Regulations of 2011.

TCRA director general Ally Simba yesterday named the firms with their fines in brackets as Vodacom Tanzania (Sh27.5 million), Tigo (Sh25 million), Zantel (Sh25 million), Airtel Tanzania (Sh22.5 million) and Benson Infomatics Limited (Sh12.5 million).

“The authority has fined these operators and ordered them to ensure that all their services are in compliance with the requirements of the quality of services regulations within the period six months from the date of this ruling. The authority has also ordered them to pay the fines not later than one month from now,” said Dr Simba.

According to him, their failure to obey the orders will lead to further disciplinary actions, including the cancellation of their operating licences.

He told cellular phone companies to invest in the development of telecommunications infrastructure for customers to enjoy quality services.

TCRA has also fined Azam Marine Company Sh5 million for carrying out courier services without a licence.

It also ordered the company to stop undertaking such services immediately.

TCRA warned all illegal operators of courier services against carrying out the business without licences.

Dr Simba also said Rifaro Africa Limited had been fined Sh10 million for using an expired licence for providing Zantel mobile money agency services through using VAS SMS Code 15420.

“The authority would like to advise the public that Rifaro Africa Limited does not have a licence from TCRA. It had a certificate of Numbering Resource Assignment for VAS SMS Code 15420 only for the purpose of creating an SMS-based application to link with their website to collect information from their airtime agents/distributors, and it expired in July, 2015,” he said.