Zambia regulator cancels Beeline licence over regulatory breaches
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Zambia’s Information and Communications Technology Authority (ZICTA) has cancelled the operator licence of Beeline, which operated under the Z-Mobile brand, for failing to meet several regulatory obligations.
ZICTA announced the decision at a press briefing on Wednesday (September 16), bringing an end to Beeline’s operation five years after it was licensed as Zambia’s fourth mobile operator in 2021.
The licence was intended to increase competition, reduce costs for consumers and expand digital inclusion. However, the Covid-19 pandemic disrupted Beeline’s network deployment, resulting in several extensions to its rollout deadlines before the operator eventually launched commercial services in 2024.
ZICTA said Beeline subsequently failed to meet a number of licence conditions, including network deployment targets and minimum quality of service requirements. The operator also failed to settle outstanding statutory fees.
The regulator said Beeline had been unable to meet the technical and financial requirements of operating a mobile network under its licence. It issued the operator with notice of the cancellation on August 31 and gave it an opportunity to appeal, but found Beeline’s response unsatisfactory.
The licence cancellation took effect on September 15. ZICTA said outstanding fees incurred during Beeline’s period of operation remain payable and will be pursued through legal and administrative measures.
Spectrum and numbering resources allocated to Beeline have also been withdrawn. Z-Mobile customers will be eligible for refunds of unused airtime, while other outstanding financial liabilities will be managed with the Bank of Zambia in the coming days.
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