Poor network quality and bad customer service could land workers of Malawi’s mobile operators in prison.

The Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (Macra) has formulated regulations that give it power to send representatives of mobile networks to jail.

The regulations are aimed at forcing operators in the Southern African country to improve their network and customer service quality.

But one of the country’s mobile operators TNM has rejected the regulations as it rather wants a fair regulatory environment in the country.

TNM is seeking to renew its licence, which is expiring this year. Negotiations for a new licence are expected to be concluded in the second half of 2014.

TNM managing director Willem Swart has told Blantyre Newspapers Limited that pending the operator’s licence renewal, Macra has initiated various new regulations, fees and large penalties for a broad range of key indicators on the network and customer service quality.

“Unrealistic coverage requirement, electronic monitoring regulations, large penalties and imprisonment for noncompliance are areas of regulatory concern to the company’s license renewal,” Swart said.

Mobile phone connections in Malawi number 33% of the country’s 15 million population, according to BuddeComm research.