Zimbabwe blames energy crisis for poor network quality

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Zimbabwe Independent reported, the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (Potraz) has been experiencing power outages and load shedding, a practice where power is prioritised in certain areas, for several hours per day. November and December saw the country experience 20-hour-long power cuts, at the height of the nation’s power crisis.

As a result, base stations that rely on national grid electricity have been going offline. Potraz head of industry and consumer affairs Vengesai Magadzire said the power outage is happening at a time when more of the population moved online for work and education.

Magadzire noted because of the energy challenge, consumers acquired services from operators they cannot make full use of.

“Issues to do with quality service remain very important in any business. As Potraz, we are very much aware of the challenges that the country is facing inasmuch as we want to ensure that there is quality service provision. However, we are experiencing structural challenges such as the power crisis that the country is experiencing. It becomes very difficult for network service providers to run on generators around the clock, even for a week. Power is a serious challenge, which has affected quality telecommunications services,” said Magadzire.

“These base stations mostly rely on electric power than generators, and if we have load-shedding which runs for more than 18 or 24 hours, it becomes very difficult to provide quality services. However, we still have the mandate to ensure that consumers receive the best services they deserve. Consumers can buy services, but fail to access them due to the power crisis. We work with both consumers and network operators to ensure the provision of good quality services.”