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Tuesday, March 19, 2024
HomeTech#263Tech: POTRAZ Tighten Screws On NetOne Over Disappearing Data

#263Tech: POTRAZ Tighten Screws On NetOne Over Disappearing Data

The Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ) has moved swiftly to intervene in a heated battle between state owned mobile network operator NetOne and its OneFusion subscribers over disappearing data over the past few days.

NetOne cited a technical glitch in their billing system which they attributed to a slow down in the performance of data resulting in many OneFusion users failing to access their Facebook, Twitter and Whatsapp accounts.

In a letter to NetOne, POTRAZ instructed the operator to compensate consumers who were affected by the poor service during those glitch moments.

“The Authority has noted the billing challenges you are facing with the OneFusion product. We have also noted that you have send communication to your subscribers advising and admitting the same challenges. Given the extent and magnitude of complaints raised to the Regulator by the subscribers, we hereby direct you to compensate the affected consumers in accordance with the prejudice they endured. This is done in the spirit of promoting the consumer’s right to complain and redress” – read the directive letter from POTRAZ.

POTRAZ said the move was not only targeted at NetOne but the same regulatory measures are applicable to every telecom player where the regulator has a mandate to promote consumer rights.

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“Accordingly, you are further requested to provide the Authority with a database of subscribers that provides details of the subscriber including name, number and the extend to which each of them was affected in monetary terms and the compensation levels extended to the affected subscribers. The database will enable us to contact an audit trail on whether all affected subscribers have been compensated accordingly. The database should be submitted to the Authority by 28 February 2018. You are also advised to furnish the authority with measures that you have put in place to ensure that the challenges of this nature will not occur.” – added POTRAZ’s letter to NetOne.

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POTRAZ has recently embarked on a nationwide tour to educate the masses on their consumer rights. The regulator says every consumer has the right to get timely, accurate bills and redress if the subscriber is not happy about the quality of service being received from the provider.

The move to tighten legislative measures on operators is a welcome move from POTRAZ since many subscribers across the industry have been crying foul on the poor deals being dished to them by service providers. It is actually good that the regulator has started by punishing a government entity otherwise the move could have been viewed differently if they started by private players in the same playing field.

NetOne is expected to officially respond to the regulator’s directive by close of business today.

 

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Shingie Lev Muringi is a Technology Analyst & Digital Media Strategist by profession. He is a qualified Cisco Certified Network Engineer & a BTech. E-Commerce alumni with the Harare Institute of Technology. Shingie is a very passionate technology enthusiast who is driven by a burning desire to be a leading strategist in this digital revolution era where every organization needs to impress the paradigm shift with urgency. He has previously worked for TN Holdings, Steward Bank, Econet Wireless - Ecocash and TechnoMag before joining 263Chat as a Journalist

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