This archive report was first published on 17 October 2019.
On October 14, 2019, Airtel Kenya's service outage left its 12.83 million subscribers out of reach for hours and without access to SMS, data, and mobile financial services. The incident is a stark reminder of the importance of proactive measures in maintaining quality telecom services.
The law recognizes the need for quality telecom services and stipulates the standards mobile operators must maintain to avoid stiff penalties in default. Mobile services have become an integral part of our daily lives, and disruptions not only affect subscribers' lives but also hurt businesses that depend on telcos in the delivery of services and products.
While telcos have put measures in place to compensate affected mobile users, the operators should address the systemic weaknesses in their systems for efficient service delivery. This includes regular maintenance of their network infrastructure to ensure uninterrupted service delivery.
As the latest Airtel outage demonstrates, such disruptions are unacceptable and can be avoided with proper planning and maintenance. It is time for telcos to up their game and ensure that their services are reliable and efficient.
