<html><head><style type="text/css"><!-- DIV {margin:0px;} --></style></head><body><div style="font-family:times new roman, new york, times, serif;font-size:12pt"><br><div style="font-family: times new roman,new york,times,serif; font-size: 12pt;"><div style="font-family: times new roman,new york,times,serif; font-size: 12pt;"><div class="Section1"><div><p class="MsoNormal"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">17 April 2007</span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">International telecommunications blackout looms</span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">In a move that threatens to cause a blackout in the telecommunications
sector, Zimbabwe˘s mobile phone operators, Econet, Net*One and Telecel
have said they will start billing all outgoing international calls in foreign
currency. The move will also see Tel*One, the sole fixed telephone network
provider charging all outgoing calls in United States Dollars.</span></font></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Mobile phone companies, which have been engaged in a rate wrangle
with the Posts and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe
(POTRAZ), maintain that they are unable to pay the termination rates charged in
United
States
dollars, and have accumulated many debts. </span></font></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Chair of the Telecommunications Operators Association of Zimbabwe
Douglas Mboweni is quoted as having stated that currently it costs ten times
cheaper to make an international call from Zimbabwe
than anywhere else in the world and as a result most international calls now
emanate from Zimbabwe . Consequently,
these companies have to pay more termination rates than the corresponding
countries. </span></font></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">POTRAZ has set the tariffs using the official exchange rate
of Z$250 against each US $
a rate which has become unsustainable for most exporters and service providers.</span></font></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Zimbabwe</span></font>
is currently facing a foreign currency shortage, making it virtually impossible
for subscribers to pay their telephone bills in foreign currency. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span></font></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Nyasha Nyakunu<br>
Research and Information Officer<br>
Media Institute of Southern Africa -
Zimbabwe<br>
84 McChlery Ave<br>
Eastlea<br>
P.O Box HR 8113<br>
Harare<br>
Zimbabwe</span></font></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span></font></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Tel: 263 4 776165 / 746838<br>
<a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="mailto:misa@mweb.co.zw">misa@mweb.co.zw</a><br>
<a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.misazim.co.zw">www.misazim.co.zw</a></span></font></p>
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