LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-The 2023 ICT survey results have revealed that 82.8% of the Malawi population uses Airtel network compared to 59% that uses TNM active sim cards.
The survey has also shown that 58% of the population uses single active sim cards compared to 42% that uses Multiple sim cards.
This was revealed during the launch of the 2023 National Information and Communications Technology (ICT) survey report in the capital Lilongwe this week.
The report also reveals that in Malawi, an individual spends an average of MK5,159 per month on the internet with an average of MK8,477 in urban areas and MK3,105 in rural areas.
The 2023 report reveals that the monthly average expenditure on the internet by region is K6,980, for the Central, K4,598 for the south, and K3,417 for the northern region.
Experts say the findings should improve ICT accessibility in different areas and reduce the prices of other high-cost internet services.
MACRA director of economic regulations, Andrew Nyirenda, observes that the survey was conducted when internet usage was affordable unlike now, and says the findings will help to regulate services in the ICT sector.
“These are now the policy interventions that the government as well as us as a regulator we need to look into,” Nyirenda said.
The last ICT survey was conducted in 2019. The 2023 ICT survey sampled and interviewed 12,000 households with a range of 4 to 50 enumeration areas in all districts.
Airtel has over six million subscribers in Malawi.
Both Airtel and TNM officials are yet to comment on the survey outcome.
