Airtel Zambia faces parliamentary rebuke over poor services, especially in rural areas

Airtel Zambia’s poor network performance has sparked renewed outrage in Parliament, with Speaker Nelly Mutti ordering the Minister of Technology and Science to engage the mobile service provider and deliver a national update.

Lawmakers have raised concerns over the impact of unreliable services, especially in rural communities where mobile communication was critical for emergencies and essential services.

The directive from Mutti followed an urgent question raised without notice by Moomba Member of Parliament, Fred Chaatila, who expressed deep concern over Airtel’s unreliable mobile network, particularly in rural areas.

Chaatila lamented that in his constituency — where emergency services such as ambulances are lacking — residents rely heavily on mobile communication to call for help.
“Phones are dropping, and people are unable to communicate. As was the case last week, this puts lives at serious risk,” he said.

The lawmaker warned that if left unchecked, the company’s poor service could have far-reaching consequences for the country.

In supporting the motion, Speaker Mutti underscored the critical role Airtel’s mobile money platform plays in facilitating essential government services such as the Social Cash Transfer programme.

She warned that the platform’s unreliability could jeopardise vital national functions.

“It is important that the Minister comes to Parliament on Wednesday to update the nation on why Airtel’s services are poor and what is being done to ensure the company complies,” said Mutti.

This was not the first time Airtel’s network quality has drawn national concern.

On February 2, 2025, subscribers in Lusaka, Central, Eastern, Western, and Southern provinces experienced a three-hour total blackout in data services, disrupting personal, commercial, and public operations.

In response, the Zambia Information and Communications Technology Authority (ZICTA) imposed a K4 million penalty on Airtel and ordered the company to compensate affected customers.

The regulator further directed Airtel to upgrade its infrastructure by February 28, 2025, to improve network resilience and service reliability.

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