MTN denied 3G concession in Swaziland

MTN has had its application for a 3G licence in Swaziland rejected by the Swaziland Posts and Telecommunications Corporation (SPTC), which also managed the regulatory regime in the country.

SPTC did not say why the licence application was rejected. MTN Swaziland’s CEO, Ambrose Dlamini had said last year that the company was at an advanced stage in negotiations for a 3G licence and had hoped to have it awarded by the end of last year.

MTN has been lobbying for an independent regulator in Swaziland for some years, saying that the combination of telco and regulator causes obvious conflicts of interest. MTN previously dropped its objection to SPTC building a fixed wireless network, in exchange for the government pressing ahead with splitting the phone company from its regulatory role.

SPTC is also the majority shareholder of MTN Swaziland with a 51 per cent stake. Of the remainder, 30 per cent is owned by South Africa’s MTN and 19 per cent by the local Swaziland Empowerment group.