Publication: Telecommunications Reform in Malawi
Date
2003-04
ISSN
Published
2003-04
Author(s)
Clarke, George R.G.
Gebreab, Frew A.
Mgombelo, Henry R.
Abstract
In 1998 the Government of Malawi decided
to reform its telecommunications sector. Although the reform
was ambitious in some ways, it was modest when compared with
the most ambitious reforms adopted elsewhere in Sub-Saharan
Africa. The two main accomplishments were splitting the
incumbent fixed line monopoly, the Malawi Post and
Telecommunications Corporation, into two companies-Malawi
Telecommunications Limited (MTL) and Malawi Post Corporation
(MPC)-and issuing two new cellular licenses to two new
private entrants. In addition, the Government also
established a new regulator which was separate from, but
heavily dependent on, the Ministry of Information and
liberalized entry in value-added and Internet services.
However, the Government had neither privatized the
fixed-line telecommunications operator nor introduced
competition in fixed-line services by the end of 2002.
Clarke, Gebreab, and Mgombelo discuss sector performance
before reform, details of the reform, the political
motivation for reform, and events in the five years
following the reform. The reform yielded mixed results.
Although cellular penetration and Internet use expanded
dramatically following reform, prices increased, especially
for cellular calls, and fixed-line penetration remains low
by regional standards.
Link to Data Set
Citation
“Clarke, George R.G.; Gebreab, Frew A.; Mgombelo, Henry R.. 2003. Telecommunications Reform in Malawi. Policy Research Working Paper;No. 3036. © World Bank, Washington, DC. http://hdl.handle.net/10986/18268 License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.”
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