Zimbabwe’s government has rejected a proposal by mobile phone firms to ban Over The Top (OTT) services such as WhatsApp and Skype, a Cabinet minister has revealed.
The Herald Newspaper reported that the firms requested that OTT services be regulated, arguing they were knocking their profits.
The introduction of OTTs which allow mobile phone users to communicate at far less charge than the mobile phone operator are levying while riding on their very networks, saw hard pressed consumers opting for the cheaper alternatives.
As a result WhatsApp, Viber and Skype are among applications that have taken over the communication landscape at the expense of the network.
Information Communication Technology Postal and Courier Services Minister Supa Mandiwanzira said that the operators last year approached the government seeking to have the OTTs banned or stifled
The Minister said that the government told the operators to look at the development as an opportunity to facilitate young Zimbabweans to develop applications suitable for local and global use than can rival those coming from abroad.
“We did mention that as a progressive government, which promotes access to technology, we were averse to the idea of stifling these technologies or banning them,” Information Communication Technology Minister Supa Mandiwanzira said
