Multinational telecommunications firm Vodafone has appointed Joseph Gondwe as CEO of the company's Zambian operation.

Little is known of Gondwe's background or experience within the telecommunication sector and the company remains tight-lipped about the circumstances surrounding its licence, or when it plans to roll out its network.

The local mobile market, home to approximately 11million customers, continues to be dominated by MTN Zambia which, based on its most recent statistics, has over 5 million voice customers. Airtel and Zamtel are the other two operators.

A source at the Zambia Information and Communications Technology Authority (ZICTA) has confirmed that the company is registered by ZICTA under the name Mobile Broadband Limited.

To date Gondwe has not responded to requests for comment as to when the operator would officially launch its local service.

Another source close to the company has also revealed that two weeks ago the company signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the University of Zambia (UNZA) allowing it to retail its products onsite at the institution.

"We have already signed a memorandum of understanding with the company and we have given them a piece of land near the UNZA clinic within the campus where they want to put up a shop that will be selling their products and providing other services to customers. But construction of the shop has not yet started," said the source.

So far, over 200 students and graduates from UNZA have been recruited as employees and marketing agents.

The company's public network is rumoured to be scheduled for launch either this month or next.