THE Government is working towards turning Zambia into an information and communications technology (ICT) hub in the region, Communication and Transport Minister Geoffrey Lungwangwa has said.
Professor Lungwangwa said during the 10th infopoverty world conference in New York, United States of America (USA), that the Government had set some objectives to meet the target.
The objectives include a commitment to improving infrastructure for ICT through the development of the optic fibre infrastructure backbone to facilitate internet broadband connectivity through the establishment of community telecentres, particularly in rural areas.
This is according to a statement released by first secretary for Press at the Zambian embassy in New York, Moses Walubita.
Prof Lungwangwa said to achieve the target, the Government intended to invest in human resource development to ensure universal access to ICT services such as internet and mobile phones, which would in turn facilitate the country’s achievements of the millennium development goals.
He said the Government’s policy was to use private investment in expanding access to this crucial catalyst for development.
Prof Lungwangwa said Zambia was committed to the development of the ICT sector and the Government was in the process of privatising Zambia Telecommunications Company (Zamtel) to ensure that other actors had access to the international gateway to facilitate affordable ICT services in Zambia.
Due to the current cost of delivery, just about one per cent of Zambians have access to the internet and 30 per cent have access to the mobile services, a situation that should improve with the privatisation of the sector because more people, particularly rural communities, will be engaged in income-generating activities resulting from increased access to ICT services.
Prof Lungwangwa said Government had adopted an ICT policy to provide a framework for the provision of these essential services to the nation and was, therefore, encouraging investment in the ICT sector, especially in the rural areas.
In a round-table discussion on how to institutionalise ICT for development in aid strategies and policies, he said the Zambian Government was determined to increase internet and mobile services from the current levels of 57 per cent to 100 per cent by 2015.
He said President Rupiah Banda who was invited by the organisers could not attend due to other national duties.
The conference was organised by OCCAM with the European Parliament, United Nations Global Alliance for ICT and Development, Infopoverty Institute at the University of Oklahoma in USA, and the Provincia di Milano in Italy.
[Times of Zambia]
How is this going to be achieved later on done? You have a government that has no agenda on providing Government services through initiatives such as E-Government yet they want to be a regional ICT hub??? It’s laughable. Broadband services are so exhobitant how can you even dream of creating an ICT regional hub against such a back drop? It’s easier said than done ba Minister. I will believe it when I see it..At the moment South Africa is the ICT hub & they have proof. Am yet to see how the MMD government will achieve this?
Abwenzi, it also start as dream then becomes a reality, one step at a time. Gee but Chipata is very far from Lusaka,so too is Mongu, when will we have the optical fibre link to Chipata?
Promises for 20 years. To hell with your crap! I guess this Minister does not even know what he is talking about.
Abwenzi, I agree with locomotive. It all begins with a dream then the technocrats are there to turn that dream onto reality. And you have spoken well of spme of the challenges and these are indeed what the government should be looking at tackling. Instead of being an armchair critic, it is better to be a cheer leader for positive ideas,.
My gosh does this chap even know what he’s talking about? “to increase internet and mobile services from the current levels of 57 per cent to 100 per cent by 2015” – that’s a nonsensical statement. it’s just talk talk talk, even a poor country like Tanzania is far ahead of Zambia, it’s because they don’t waste time talking they DO SOMETHING
I mean these guys can’t even issue a licence to another cell provider because they are too busy chewing the money or arguing about who is going to chew the next money. it’s hopeless
locomotive banda, you have a point there….its true everything starts with a dream , if you dont dream you never archieve anything in life. This is a good idea from the govt but hope it will not die out at dream/idea stage. “you have to start something to be great but you dont have to be great to start something”. ICT is key for development but it has to be govt by good ICT policies (in the Likes of broadband mgnt , security , availability , trainning etc)which we currently dont have in Zambia. So we have the dream , we need policies in place and start building slowly because this is not a short term goal.Being in ICT for a long time i know that Zambia is far much behind in terms of ICT Infrastructure and availability and also our colleges/universities are not upto date. To cut the…
story short , this is going to be a challege for all parties involved (ie govt, ISP, communications authority..etc). i will need full time commitment. Get me on contract and i will come back to Zambia and help with the implementation.;)
i mean it will need full time commitment..
This sounds good but I am wondering how “Prof Lungwangwa said Zambia was committed to the development of the ICT sector and the Government was in the process of privatising Zambia Telecommunications Company (Zamtel) to ensure that other actors had access to the international gateway to facilitate affordable ICT services in Zambia” is sensible as an argument for the intended go.
This is so because Zamtel is controlled by ZICTA which authorises the international gateway activities in Zambia. Therefore, let not GRZ think that we Zambians and other world are all dull to be cheated into believing this lame accuse for selling Zamtel — probably for a song.
Be blessed dall
_
Matt 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added…
How do we expect the country to be the number one hub when internet services are some of the most expensive in the sub region? One Gig of data will cost you K400,000 (just under USD85). This will get you serious unlim in any other country! This is putting a hindrance to any internet based firm because if you are going to sell your software online, your customers are not just thinking about the cost of the license, but the cost of the download as well. This should not be an issue, but its a big deal around here. If it is internet services from mobile phone providers, costs go through the roof! It will cost you K1,500/MB, or K150,000 per 100MB. Surely, Mr Lungwangwa, how are we supposed to progress like this?
South Africa is the regional Hub for ICT’s. Infact it is the continental hub for that matter. Mr Minister you cant make the rural areas as your point of departure for the roll out of ICT’s. Begin with Government departments or Ministries. Currently most ministries dont have websites, later on email addresses. How can a government official doing official Government business be using yahoo, gmail or Hotmail? Implement e-government and you will see how quickly the nation will catch with the Modern world
Prof this is indeed the way to but i have a problem with the attitude front line workers in Zambia ,they do not answer phone calls ,one will be very lucky if your email was replied to.The only calls they answer are mobile phones because it is a status in Zambia to talk on the mobile phone.Prof you a uphill batle to climb on this issue ,just for your information the internet penetration in Zimbabwe is higher than Zambia ,thats a scandal!The reason is simple the cost is too high in Zambia ,bring it down to affordable levels first before we talk about being the regional hub.
I agree totally with Ibange libi (what a terrible name tho). It does not make sense to think of rolling out the ICT from a rural base. Start by changing the way public services are provided. People should be able to pay electricity & water bills at any post office or any pay point. Start forcing people to use IT to access some government facilities like application for passport and other simple government services like checking your ground rates for your plot online. Examples are many. The point is you just have to start. Not talking all the time.
Chiengi Tv ,Mkhandawire etc, there is a new telecommunications act (ZICTA) and i feel this is the begging of reform or progress. Actually the Government was calling for comments from informed pipo like you before they passed the bill. So there is something happening. As for talk , talk and talk, in modern mangement and governance, communication ( as in disseminating the obective/ strategic vision or goals) is an essentail component so you should expect a to hear the talk. The problem is where it ends with the talk. Lets all do our part to ensure this does not end with talk
I think the old Minister is preparing to get the Zamtel sold off at a song. Please give shares to zambians for this last piece of network. Foreigner monitoring your Internet is a very very huge security risk!!
Maestro Hhehhehhe says:
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This is so because Zamtel is controlled by ZICTA which authorises the international gateway activities in Zambia. Therefore, let not GRZ think that we Zambians and other world are all dull to be cheated into believing this lame accuse for selling Zamtel — probably for a song.
Be blessed dall
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# 15, we could not contribute our comments because of the catch 22 situation. Getting such information on the internet is almost impossible. You should try to get info or apply for anything from Govt on the net, then you will know what i mean. We did not even know that contributions for such an exercise where required from Zambians. By the way what is ZICTA’s website? That is where the problems begins.
In any case, that minister for transport and communication is rather old and not in touch with the current technology trends. We need something like an IT and telecoms Tsar, treated in the same way as bank of Zambia governor. This person will then spearhead all wot this minister is saying and take this up. We ve got people with loads of time in the copperbelt and as long as you make PCs available and internet hubs all over to access this technology, then we will progress.
Internet and Information is the last straw for Zed to catch up and we should take this serious. If MMD want to stay in power, i ve just given them the manifesto! If we train chaps in high level IT skills (Networking, voice, web, security, programming etc etc), we can conquer all of central africa! LONG term plans!!
#2 and #4. I was not just criticising neither was I arguing that people shouldn’t dream. My point is how are they going to implement ICT at regional level when most government ministries in Zambia don’t even have a Website later on even maintain it to just access simple information on Government activities. You’re in a country at the moment where information is key & power come guy be real.Even when you dream you have to set your dreams realistically in order for them to turn into reality. In my opinion this is a dream that will never materialised because of what is happening on the ground in Zambia you can agree but it won’t happen in 2015 may another 20-years.
#17 I couldn’t agree with you more. I have lived in South Africa so I know what it means to access information via the net. And some bloggers who are even in countries like USA & UK think somebody setting silly, laughable dreams should be supported because we need to be positive. Set realistic dreams Like all Government ministries will have well maintained Websites were citizens can access information & start from their. Being a regional ICT hub is not done by attending a roundtable in the US. It’s what’s happening on the ground that should guide us. At the moment this remains a far fetched dream.
Abwenzi
You are talking alot of sense! where are you now?
Our government need help fast! All they need is our brains to be honest when it comes to IT and telecoms. All the airwaves are free to use, and i am sure zambia has got a lot of fiber in cb and lusaka. We donot need joe foreigner to come and set things up for us. In fact they can ask us to develop the websites and network plans at a cheap rate.
Ba Minister (ba Proff) please read some of our constructive info! Please ask and we will respond! We can do the govt for free and see how things progress.
Please ask, dont just downlad a speach from some other african minister and proclaim that you gonna be the ICT hub for the region – it not gonna happen as you are slow. Action now pelase!
… better late than never. It is too late for Zed to be the ICT hub for the region because we are least developed in the region. We have a highly undeveloped ICT industry that lacks direction. Our surrounding nations seem to be getting by without us, Kenya, Botswana, Namibia, South Africa. We have the most expensive internet tarrifs in the world – this is clearly nothing more than political talk. Talk about something else please, and do try to be realistic. Understand that whoever you presented your paper to is not in way shape or form fooled. Wake up.