Massnet Innovation Solutions, a telecoms start-up company in Zambia, is seeking an investor to deploy an LTE network in the country.
Massnet, which is headed by Zambian entrepreneur Rabson Lungu, acquired an LTE licence from the Zambian government in August 2012. The licence is for LTE in the 2.6 GHz spectrum, band 7.
Lungu said that Massnet is looking for a “serious stakeholder” who can join the company as an equity partner. The company is open to a partner taking a majority stake.
“All we want is to see this network deliver solutions for Zambia,” Lungu told CommsMEA.
Massnet devised a deployment plan for the network as part of the criteria to acquire the licence.
Lungu sees potential for a 4G data network in the country owing to the “communications nightmare” that he says currently exists in Zambia. “Other players are good in voice, but because they are making good money on voice they are not investing so much in the data markets or service upgrade improvement,” he said.
Zambia’s telecoms market is dominated by mobile operator Bharti Airtel, which has a market share of around 65%, according to Australian research firm, BuddeComm. However, the fastest subscriber growth is currently seen by the runner-up, MTN. The third competitor in the mobile market is Cell Z, the mobile division of the national telco, Zamtel.
The mobile operators started to introduce 3G services launched in 2011 and national fibre networks were being rolled out by four different companies. Several ISPs have rolled out WiMAX wireless broadband networks, BuddeComm stated in a report last year.
