List of mobile network operators in Zambia and the surrounding area

Views: 2889

Currently, Zambia has only 3 mobile network operators namely Airtel, MTN, and Zamtel. Other neighboring countries with 3 mobile network operators are Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and Rwanda.

Eswatini has only 1 mobile network operator which is MTN owing to the population, while Angola, Namibia, and Lesotho have only 2.

DR Congo, Malawi, South Africa, Tanzania, and Rwanda top the list with more than 6 phone mobile network operators.

Here is a list of mobile network operators in Zambia and the surrounding region that is Congo DRC, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Angola, and also Rwanda, Uganda, Burundi, and Kenya.

The list emphasizes the technology used in communication and who are the owners of the networks. This information is also available on Wikipedia

Zambia

Operator	Technology	Ownership
MTN Zambia	GSM-900 MHz (GPRS, EDGE) 2100 MHz UMTS, DC-HSPA+LTE	MTN Business Group
Airtel Zambia	GSM-900 MHz (GPRS, EDGE) 2100 MHz UMTS, DC-HSPA+LTEv	Bharti Airtel
Zamtel	GSM-900 MHz (GPRS, EDGE) 2100 MHz UMTS, DC-HSPA+LTE	Zambia Telecommunications Company

Congo DR

Operator	Technology	Ownership
Vodacom	GSM-900/1800 (GPRS, EDGE) 2100 MHz UMTS, HSPA+ WiMAX	Vodacom (51%), Congolese Wireless Network (49%)
Orange	GSM-900 (GPRS, EDGE) 2100 MHz UMTS, HSPA+	Orange S.A.
Africell	GSM UMTS	Africell Holding
Airtel	GSM-900 (GPRS, EDGE) 2100 MHz UMTS, HSPA+	Bharti Airtel (98.5%)
Supercell	GSM-900	[44]
SemaTel	GSM	Hits Telecom (60%)
U-Com	CDMA	Global Vision Telecom (Telecel International)
Smile	LTE	Smile Communications (Al-Nahla Technology, Atheeb Trading Company, Capitalworks, Verene) [48]

Tanzania

Rank	Operator	Technology	Ownership
1	Vodacom	GSM-900/1800 MHz (GPRS, EDGE) 2100 MHz UMTS, HSPA+LTE	Vodacom (82.2%)
2	Airtel (formerly Zain)	GSM-900/1800 (GPRS, EDGE) 2100 MHz UMTS, HSPA+LTE	Bharti Airtel (60%)
3	Tigo	GSM-900/1800 MHz (GPRS, EDGE) 2100 MHz UMTS, DC-HSPA+ LTE	MIC
4	Halotel	GSM UMTS	Viettel Tanzania Limited (Subsidiary of Viettel Group[154][155])
5	Zantel	GSM-900/1800 MHz (GPRS, EDGE) 2100 MHz UMTS, HSPA+	Etisalat (51%) and Zanzibar Telecom Ltd

Malawi

Rank	Operator	Technology	Ownership
1	Airtel (formerly Zain)	GSM-900 (GPRS, EDGE) 2100 MHz UMTS, HSPA+LTE	Bharti Airtel
2	TNM	GSM-900/1800 (GPRS, EDGE) 2100 MHz UMTS, HSDPALTE	Malawi Telecommunications Limited, Telekom Malaysia
3	Access	GSM-900, LTE-800
4	G-Mobile (license revoked [85])	GSM	Globally Advanced Integrated Networks,[86] Beryl (South Africa)
5	Lacell	GSM	La Cell Private Limited[87]
6	G-Expresso	GSM	Expresso Telecom Group Limited[87]

Mozambique

Rank	Operator	Technology	Ownership
1	Tmcel	GSM-900/1800 MHz (GPRS, EDGE) 900/2100 MHz UMTS, HSDPA	Partially state-owned
2	Vodacom	GSM-900/1800 MHz (GPRS, EDGE) 2100 MHz UMTS, HSDPA	Vodacom (85%)
3	Movitel	GSM	Viettel (70%), SPI (30%)[100]

Zimbabwe

Rank	Operator	Technology	Ownership
1	Econet	GSM-900 (GPRS, EDGE) 2100 MHz UMTS, HSDPA 1800 MHz LTE WiMAX	Econet Wireless (Private) Limited
2	telecel	GSM-900 (GPRS, EDGE) 2100 MHz UMTS, HSDPA	VimpelCom Ltd (60%)
3	NetOne	GSM-900 (GPRS, EDGE) 2100 MHz UMTS, HSDPA 1800 MHz LTE	NetOne Cellular (Pvt) Ltd (government)

South Africa

Rank	Operator	Technology	Ownership
1	Vodacom	GSM-900 (GPRS, EDGE) 2100 MHz UMTS, DC-HSPA+ 1800 MHz LTE5G 3500 MHz WiMAX	Vodafone (65%)
2	MTN	GSM-900/1800 (GPRS, EDGE) 900/2100 MHz UMTS, DC-HSPA+ 1800 MHz LTE5G 3500 MHz	MTN Group
3	Cell C	GSM-900/1800 (GPRS, EDGE) 900/2100 MHz UMTS, DC-HSPA+ 1800/2100 MHz LTE, LTE-A	Oger Telecom in process of diluting it’s 70% stake to 27%Blue Label Telecoms is planning to acquire a 30% stake in Cell C[145]
4	Telkom	GSM-1800 (GPRS) 2100 MHz UMTS, HSPA+2300 MHz LTE	Telkom
5	Rain	1800 MHz LTE5G 3500 MHz	Rain (formerly Wireless Business Solutions) 80%ARC 20%

Lesotho

Rank	Operator	Technology	Ownership
1	Vodacom	GSM-900 MHz (GPRS, EDGE) 2100 MHz UMTS, HSPA LTE WiMAX	Sekha-Metsi Consortium (12%), Vodacom (88%)
2	Econet Telecom Lesotho	GSM-900 (GPRS, EDGE) 2100 MHz UMTS HSDPA	Econet Ezi Cel Lesotho (Pty)

Eswatini

Rank	Operator	Technology	Ownership
1	MTN	GSM-900 MHz (GPRS, EDGE) 2100 MHz UMTS, HSDPALTE	MTN Group (30%)

Namibia

Rank	Operator	Technology	Ownership
1	MTC[103]	GSM-900/1800 (GPRS, EDGE) 2100 MHz UMTS, HSUPA, HSPA+ 1800 MHz LTE	Namibia Post and Telecommunications Holdings (66%) Portugal Telecom (34%)
2	TN Mobile[104] (formerly Cell One, Leo)	GSM-900/1800 (GPRS, EDGE) 2100 MHz UMTS, HSDPALTE	Telecom Namibia Ltd.

Angola

1	Unitel	GSM-900/1800 (GPRS, EDGE) 2100 MHz UMTS, HSDPA 2100 MHz LTE	7 (November 2011)[4]	Mercury (Sonangol group) (25%), Group GENI (25%), Vidatel (25%), Portugal Telecom (25%)[5]
2	Movicel	GSM (GPRS, EDGE) 900 MHz UMTS, HSDPA 1800 MHz LTE	2.5 (September 2010)[5]	Government (Angola Telecom (18%), Correios Telegrafos de Angola (2%)), Porturil (40%), Modus Comicare (19%), Ipang (10%), Lambda (6%)

Rwanda

Operator	Technology
MTN	GSM-900 (GPRS, EDGE) 2100 MHz UMTS, HSPA+LTE	MTN Group (55%), Crystal Telecom (35%)
Airtel	GSM-900/1800 (GPRS, EDGE) 2100 MHz UMTS, HSPA+ LTE	Bharti
Rwandatel	CdmaOne GSM-900/1800 2100 MHz UMTS	LAP Green Networks (80%)

Botswana

Operator	Technology	Ownership
Mascom	GSM-900 2100 MHz UMTS, HSPA+LTE	Mascom, MTN (53%)
Orange	GSM-900 2100 MHz UMTS, HSDPALTE	Orange S.A. (69%), Mosokelatsebeng Cellular (local investors, 26%), local individuals (5%)
btc	GSM-900/1800 UMTS	BTC Botswana Telecommunications Corporation

Kenya

Operator	Technology	Ownership
Safaricom	GSM-900/1800 (GPRS, EDGE) 2100 MHz UMTS, DC-HSPA+ WiMAX 800/1800 MHz LTE	Vodafone (40%) Public Float (60%)
Airtel (formerly Zain)	GSM-900 (GPRS, EDGE) 2100 MHz UMTS, HSPA+LTE	Bharti Airtel (80%)
Telkom Kenya (formerly Orange)	GSM-900/1800 (GPRS, EDGE) 2100 MHz UMTS, DC-HSPA+LTE	Helios Investment Partners (70%)[70] Kenyan government (30%)
Jamii Telecommunications (Faiba 4G)	LTE-700 MHz	Jamii Telecommunications Limited

Uganda

Operator	Technology	Ownership
MTN	CDMA GSM-900 MHz (GPRS, EDGE) 2100 MHz UMTS, DC-HSPA+ 2600 MHz TD-LTE WiMAX	MTN Group (96%)
Airtel	GSM-900 MHz (GPRS, EDGE) 2100 MHz UMTS, HSPA+	Bharti Airtel
Africell	GSM-900/1800 MHz (GPRS, EDGE) 900 MHz & 2100 MHz UMTS, HSPA+ 800 MHz LTE & 2600 MHz LTE	Africell Holding (95%)
Warid (Bought by Airtel in 2013)	GSM-900/1800 MHz (GPRS, EDGE) 2100 MHz UMTS, HSDPA WiMAX	Airtel Africa
UT Mobile	CdmaOne GSM-900 MHz (GPRS, EDGE) 2100 MHz UMTS, HSDPA	Uganda Telecom Limited
Essar	GSM (GPRS)	Essar Group (90%)
Smart Telecom	unknown	Smart Telecom

Burundi

Operator	Technology	Ownership
Econet Leo	CDMA GSM-900/1800 MHz 2100 MHz UMTSLTE	Econet Wireless (purchased Leo from Vimpelcom)
Lumitel (Viettel Burundi)	GSM UMTS 4G LTE	Viettel Group (Vietnam)
ONAMOB	GSM-900 MHz	Onatel (state owned)
Smart Mobile (formerly Lacell)	GSM-1800 MHz UMTS	Smart Telecom