Tmcel, a Mozambican mobile operator, announced service outages in Maputo due to equipment vandalism. The company reported reduced financial losses in 2023 and engaged in community initiatives for infrastructure protection. Tmcel has made strides in network modernization, improving service capacity after nearly a decade of limited investment, while also facing significant financial challenges and government intervention to enhance performance.
Mozambican mobile network operator Tmcel faced significant disruptions today due to vandalism that affected its equipment in various Maputo locations. This incident has rendered customers in areas such as downtown Maputo, Matola, Polana, Alto-Maé, and Malhangalene without voice and data services. Tmcel, a state-owned enterprise, expressed its commitment to restoring services promptly in a recent statement.
The company has been actively engaging in community awareness initiatives and collaborating with local authorities to enhance surveillance. Tmcel urged citizens to remain vigilant in protecting infrastructure, asserting that such incidents severely hinder service provision.
In a financial report, Tmcel revealed it reduced its losses significantly over the past year, reporting a net loss of 2,130 million meticais (approximately 30.5 million euros) for 2023, down from losses of nearly 4,333 million meticais (62.1 million euros) in 2022. The operator, as of the end of 2023, maintained 1,842,679 active mobile customers and 27,466 fixed-line customers.
The Mozambican government, as the majority shareholder, intervened in the company in March 2023, initiating a Revitalization Plan to enhance performance. By the end of the year, Tmcel’s negative equity reached over 10,122 million meticais (145 million euros), resulting from accumulated deficits and liabilities that surpassed total assets.
Founded in December 2018 from the merger of Telecomunicações de Moçambique and Moçambique Celular, Tmcel aimed to establish a competitive and sustainable telecommunications entity. The company had initially employed 2,054 individuals but saw a decrease to 1,370 employees by 2023.
Moreover, through its network modernization and expansion project initiated in January 2022, Tmcel reported the activation and modernization of 966 transmission antennas, contributing to an improved broadband capacity. This project, the first significant investment in almost a decade, has expanded Tmcel’s broadband coverage from 10 to 400 gigabits per second and enhanced mobile network coverage to 4.5G.
In conclusion, Tmcel faces challenges due to equipment vandalism affecting service delivery in Maputo. The operator has made strides in reducing financial losses and engaging the community to safeguard its infrastructure. Significant efforts in network modernization have improved overall service capacity, although the company continues to grapple with adverse financial circumstances. The government’s intervention illustrates ongoing commitment to enhancing Tmcel’s operational performance and sustainability in the telecommunications market.
Original Source: clubofmozambique.com
