All we know about Vodafone Zambia

It’s been a few months coming and Vodafone is nowhere in sight in Zambia just yet, but we know they are here, keeping real low-key trying to get their act together.

Here’s what we know so far:

• They were supposed to have launched on 1st April, 2016, no fool’s joke, but didn’t so we were left wondering what the hell happened there. They are setting up and testing their 4G/LTE network right now and should be completed by the 5th of June, 2016, according to a highly credible source. However, there are reports that their overall upload speed is slightly slow but download speeds can hit up to 5mbps. Afrimax will need to work on that to make a mark.

• There were license issues about being a 4th mobile operator which is against Zambian policy, but it seems they have now resolved that. Speculation suggests it may have been politically influenced but there’s no word of that officially. They will be operating on data service provision for now and might move on to voice later if allowed.

• Afrimax will operate under the Vodafone brand. Vodafone own the majority shares in Vodacom who in turn own iConnect. iConnect and Afrimax will be competitors. Yes, it’s confusing-ish. ‘Afrimax are investing CapEx (Capital Expenditure) and leasing the Vodafone brand in a new company rather than refresh the entity owned through a subsidiary, this is not good use of capital when taken at face value. The CapEx investment includes a new data centre in Roma, capacity leases from Liquid Telecoms for metro fibre, tower lease from IHS, spectrum purchase from the regulator and hardware purchase from ZTE and others’ wrote fellow tech blogger Vinni. Read more here.

• The whole network is running on Liquid Telecom fibre up to their cell tower connections. Their transmission network (LTE) is provided by ZTE.

• There seems to be a circulation of freebie data-only SIM cards that come with a portable LTE modem and a Facebook user shared this picture of their interface of the SIM on mobile phone: 

• It seems others are getting free SIMS at their workplaces:

• Most people are hopeful that they will bring paradise in a basket:

Got some info to share? Comment below…