Swazi state telco switches off rival mobile network

On the eve of international arbitration, Swaziland’s state-owned telco, SPTC has shut-down its mobile network after seemingly accepting that the service breached an agreement signed with MTN to be the monopoly provider of mobile services.

SPTC is also a shareholder in Swazi MTN.

Citing sources at the company, the Times newspaper reported that SPTC is said to have offered to withdraw the mobile and Fixedfone services after conceding that these two projects were in breach of the joint venture agreement entered into with Swazi MTN in 1997.

The joint venture between the two companies bared Swazi MTN shareholders from competing with it in the mobile market.