Mobile operators Zain and Etisalat’s Atlantic have filed a complaint with the telecom regulator’s decisions to cut their licences by five and three years respectively, following alleged breaches of contract.
The complaint, known as an “appel gracieux” in…
Mobile operators Zain and Etisalat’s Atlantic have filed a complaint with the telecom regulator’s decisions to cut their licences by five and three years respectively, following alleged breaches of contract.
The complaint, known as an “appel gracieux” in French juridical terms, is the first step for the operators to try to overturn the decision taken by the regulator Autorite de Regulation Multi-Sectorielle (ARM).
Now the ministry and ARM are considering the complaint, Almoudan Intakabayet, secretary general of the communications ministry, said.
Should the authorities reject the operators’ complaint, he said, the companies can take their issue to court.
In early January, ARM announced its decision to reduce the two operators’ licences, saying they had reached specifications linked to their licence agreements.
Zain is the clear market leader in Niger, with 1.4 million users by the end of Q3 2009. Atlantic follows with 360,000 users but it is being caught up by Orange, while Lap Green’s Sahel Com remains small with less than 1 million users.
