The number of mobile internet users in Zambia has dropped from 6.1 million to 5.2 million in just one year.
This is despite growth in mobile phone subscriptions.
Communications and Transport Brian Mushimba revealed that as at December 2016, the total number of active mobile phone subscribers in Zambia increased to 12 million from 11.6 million subscribers recorded at the end of 2015, representing 74.9% mobile penetration rate.
Mr Mushimba however said that the latest statistics from the Zambia Information and Communications Technology Authority (ZICTA) confirms 5.2 million mobile internet subscribers representing a 32.15% penetration rate.
Last year, ZICTA attributed the increased internet access and the demand for data services to the rapid adoption of smartphones and other mobile devices.
Mr. Mushimba said the high cost of data services is one of the reasons for the drop in the number of mobile internet users, and that many locals are using basic handsets instead of data-enabled phones.
“The high cost of data services offered by various players on the Zambian market is mainly to blame. This is why we have come up with a new policy framework that will open doors for more players in the market so that we bring down the cost of data services. Zambians are paying too much for services that have remained poor most of the time,” said Mr. Mushimba.
ZICTA Acting Executive Director Patrick Mutimunshi said the regulator has noted various complaints from people regarding the billing of internet bundles and assured that the matter is being addressed.
He said some customers have been complaining about the missing bundles from their gadgets and the poor quality of services by operators.
“We have now strengthened our compliance unit and they are going to see to it that some of these things are going to reduce to levels which everyone will be happy about,” Mr. Mutimunshi said.
In Zambia, 2GB data bundles cost as much as K190 while 1GB cost about K134.
Blame it on Lungu’s epileptic economy and comatose electricity provision by his PF gangs. Rupiah Banda would have done much better than this lazy bum.
The reason for this downfall is simply b’coz there is too much corruption & criminality in the country under PF bandits of visionless Dagama.
The corruption levels under PF is mouth & body staggering to the core. Where there is no accountability, check & balance in this PF govt, expect nothing else but a plummeted economy. The PF politicians or rather bandits, are busy siphoning corrupt kickbacks from internet providers & hence the majority of people are left without options but to reduce or fully cease spending on bundles that melt down like bathing soap under the blindfolded PF.
The country has gone to the confused & corrupt PF element bandits. What a great riddance for those who were busy dancing to the PF dununa backwardness songs without a chorus.
Mwapya! Simple question is, how…
…how much are the so called bundles? Worse still, how much is mealie meal & the economy today?
The Skeleton Key
~206~
Otherwise, how much is an egg?
Ba Lungu bena kano fye ukukolwa. Ba kukolwa fye lyonse! twalishama sana.
Okay, now that you know, what are you doing about it? Piece of free advice, kindly improve your telecommunication infrastructure and strengthen your somewhat inept ICT policy. Do you even have a telecomms backbone in the country, I wonder? Listen to ZICTA, they too are to blame; how come they know that the existing ISPs give Zambians shoddy internet services. KINDLY HIDE THAT ACCUSING FINGER AND HURRY UP, GET TO WORK!!
How come internet in Zambia is all about bundles. I hate bundle, I hate bundles I loathe bundles. @1.2 Skeleton, imagine ai? 1GB of bundles costs more that mealie meal and when using it, you will use it in less than a 10 minutes. Theft + Slow + Downtimes. It’s pathetic to say the least. You can even do any meaningful download.
How come internet in Zambia is all about bundles. I hate bundle, I hate bundles I loathe bundles. @1.2 Skeleton, imagine ai? 1GB of bundles costs more that mealie meal and when using it, you will use it in less than a 10 minutes. Theft + Slow + Downtimes. It’s pathetic to say the least. You can’t even do any meaningful download.
Zambians shouldn’t. Be allowed to use mobile phones.
They are In Developing country. Mobile phones are for white people for me.
I just complete my PHD
Thanks
Bb2014,2016
I D I O T!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Congratulations! No wonder you always sounded so confused – that’s what undigested philosophy does to people.
Time to come back home and face reality!
Zambians shouldn’t. Be allowed to use mobile phones.
They are In Developing country. Mobile phones are for white people for me.
I just complete my PHD
Thanks
Bb2014,2016
I D I O T!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ulinsonkanda sana mushota! U bought that PhD coz u re too shallow to sound like a PhD holder right about now. Ati white person! U have arrived !
P = Poor
H = Hoping to
D = Die
Most PhD holders are clueless of life they just concentrate on knowledge which do not apply to all walks of life. Its better to Eat, Be joyful, Love the Creator and Die than being stuck in snow, an air conditioned room, sun or an ocean……. The world is ruled by a handful of clowns who know nothing but oppression.
With that kind of english, I do not doubt you at all. You never cease to amaze me because you always find a way of exposing your ignornace or getting attention. Pity.
That’s a huge drop owing to increased cost of living under pf. People are failing to afford basic needs. Now pf have increased electric tarrif by 75 percent. People are living in darkness. Howver this is pf plan to keep people in the dark about what is really going on . Lungu agwe
This is where people are supposed to channel their energy and put pressure on network providers to reduce the tariffs than politics. Communication is key in our day to day operations and it must be very cheap to communicate. I guess the network providers are reaping customers a fortune and it’s daylight robbery.
They finally decide to add new entrants 5 years after the fact. Entrants were blocked to allow Zamtel to grow, and its still bleeding money. Therefore it allowed the other 2 collusion on price. Zambia is paying the highest prices in the region yet we have infrastructure to make it cheaper.
Just go green, smoke some green, and join Zamtel. Why suffer with these foreign service providers?
Lol. Boss you are confused. I assume you belong to the Green party too. Made my day.
Didnt govt say it would monitor telecommunications to identify thise causing confusion for the government.
Maybe pipo dont feel free to use that fodm of msdia in case BIG BROTHER is watching listening
Am confused with this article
There is drop in mobile internet users despite growth in mobile subscription
Zicta attributed the increase in internet access and demand to adaption of smart phones…
Some clients have complained of missing bundles from their gudgets. (Kkkkk. There is a prophet who makes bundles .ati seer 1. He is the one that hacks kkkkkkkk
Anyway this artical doesn make sense at .
Demand for data anywhere will keep going up in the world
If someone has no vision that’s the result Zambia is one country which believe in punishing it’s own citizens buy increasing things.
Join zamtel.
It’s due to zicta threats.
Can someone tabulate in monetary terms how much has been spent by the state on HH since was arrested, this is a man who is a millionaire in all world currencies, this what we call misplaced priorities, why unza students need funds, pensioners need their benefits, with increased electricity tarriffs, akabunga will go up, woe unto all earthens that think keeping quiet will sought out the mess they are in.
First thing free HH, and stop spending government funds aimlessly.
What a bunch of 1diots blogging here!!! EVERYTHING IS POLITICAL NOW!! Even a simple social matter has everything to do with President Lungu??? I mean a lot of people prefer to use routers and those MIFI gadgets at home now and that to me has contributed to the drop in internet users on mobiles but these useless donkeys we have always have to blame PF, President Lungu??? This is just f@*king PATHETIC!!!!!!
Hello relax this is not North Korea.
Who said it was, donkey?? My point is that not everything revolves around politics. Such matters revolve around consumers who should discuss such issues constructively and exchange ideas to lobby the right organisations like Airtel, MTN etc to work on their pricing. What does PF have to do with a legal commercial entity like Airtel?? It is us consumers who are suppose to pressure these commercial entities, not depend on government to do everything for us!! ELECTIONS ARE OVER AND THIS GOVERNMENT IS THERE UNTIL 2021, AND NONE OF YOU CAN DO A THING ABOUT IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Comment:
In some neighbouring countries internet services costs are very low. They have what they term HIGH SPEED, UNLIMITED data for FIVE Kwacha equivalent for 24 hours. Just imagine that!
TRUTH BE TOLD – GOVERNMENT HAS FAILED IN THIS AREA; YOUR INTERNET ACCESS POLICY IS DUMB!
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I wounder if the introduction of a 4 player on the market is the solution to data service consumption drop here. The Government and its ZICTA should begin to understand that just like clean water, free air and Zesco’s electricity, Internet access and its cost is very much (75%) Government’s baby and business. These network players MTN, AIRTEL and what-have-you are just businessmen not concerned about how low the cost of internet access should get but how much they are making for their shareholders. In short Government has been sleeping and increasing Airtime tariffs on one end and mourning drop in mobile internet use on the other.
ACTING EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR PATRICK MUTIMUSHI atleast ZICTA has announced the ACTING EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR I DONT CARE WHERE THE CEO IS BUT WHY IS UPND FAILING TO ANNOUNCE THE ACTING PRESIDENT OF UPND KNOWING WELL THAT HH is incacerated and GBM is knee injured please show leadership who is boss of UPND now or its NEZ? Mushota is right INTERNET in Zambia is not a priority pipo just need ka nokia that can call answer and text the rest is for pipo in developed countries who can afford luxury