Zambia aims to complete 300 communication towers

from ARNOLD MULENGA in Lusaka, Zambia
Zambia Bureau
LUSAKA, (CAJ News) – ZAMBIA aims to complete 300 communication towers by the end of 2024 to increase connectivity and increase internet penetration.

The government, mobile phone providers and other private partners are constructing the towers.

Science and Technology Minister, Felix Mutati, said the facilities would offer Zambians an opportunity of being part of the digital economy and allow citizens access services online.

He was speaking as he officially opened the just-concluded ICT Consumer Dialogue Forum in Lusaka, organised by the Zambia Information Communication Technology Authority (ZICTA).

Mutati noted the growth of the local ICT sector by 28 percent and the increase in mobile money transactions to K460 billion US$17,75 million in 2023.

“Government wants to increase connectivity further,” he said.

Mutati said the government of President Haikande Hichilema was also working to make online services accessible and ensure digital literacy to shield Zambians from cyber crime.

“I urge ZICTA to give the government some proposals on how we can make the internet safer,” the minister said.

Addressing the forum virtually, Thabo Makenete, the Meta regional representative, said the company had enhanced its efforts against fraudsters and hackers, following an increase in hackings of Facebook and WhatsApp accounts.

Regional Director for the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), Emmanuel Manasseh, another participant, expressed worry at the prevalence of gambling and excessive gaming amid the rise of smart devices.

“There is need for consumer education so that they caution on use of such devices,” Manasseh said.

ZICTA held the forum under the theme, “Engage, Empower, Elevate – Putting Consumers at the Heart of Digital Transformation.”

– CAJ News