Post date: Jan 14, 2011 12:58:43 PM
The threat of increased competition and access to better fibre optic networks is propelling the growth of Zambia's internet network, making access easier for ordinary Zambians.
LUSAKA, ZAMBIA (JANUARY 13, 2011) REUTERS - Zambia's economy may be strengthening, with its GDP set to have grown more than 7 percent in 2010 but millions of Zambians have yet to benefit directly from that growth.
A recent investor in the country is hoping to change that.
Libya's LAP Green Networks plans to connect over 6,000 households to broadband Internet in Zambia's capital, Lusaka under the Next Generation Network (NGN).The firm has so far invested 23 million US dollars to roll out the NGN exchanges in the country and is expected to complete the first phase in Lusaka next week.
Zambia last year selected LAP Green to buy a 75 percent stake in Zamtel, its only fixed operator, for 257 million US dollars.
In a an ongoing project to upgrade and modernise fixed line infrastructure across the country, Zamtel has embarked on phase one of decommissioning of all old analogue land line exchanges and replacing them with the NGN exchanges (Digital).
This change from analogue to digital exchanges will enable customers to get the benefits of additional features on their land lines such as fast and affordable broadband internet, audio and video conferencing as well as missed call notification, among other services.
Corporate communications senior manager, Kennedy Mambwe says the NGN roll-out plan is advancing well and almost complete in Lusaka.
"The reason is we want to make sure we push internet penetration, ah, the rates in Zambia, they are significantly very, very low, ah, and we want to make sure that by deploying the NGN (New Generation Network) throughout the country or in a phased approach, we should be able to make sure that we push internet access, ah, to the highest level, ah, as you know Zamtel is a major player if not the sole player as far as fixed line business is concerned so we want to make sure we leverage on that and deal with the so called digital divide," Mambwe said.
Mambwe said the whole country will be on NGN end of February this year and 96 sites have so far been upgraded.
Zamtel was in talks with Tanzania and Namibia for other links to undersea cables and planned to venture into the wholesale business thereafter by selling some of the excess capacity to other telecommunications companies.
Worried Chibuye, the company's Network Planning and Optimization manager said students must be able to use the Internet for research purposes
"Our goal is to ensure that all the homes which has got Zamtel lines have access to internet because internet there is a lot of information that we can use for school going children they need a lot of information, they need a lot of research to do a lot of home work on the internet, a lot of books on the internet, material that can be found on the internet that's the more reason Zamtel has taken that step to ensure that all the homes at least they have the internet," said Chibuye.
The firm is currently deploying 450 sites, which will see rural Zambia get connected to second generation (2G) while the urban areas will be connected to 3G.
Zamtel plans to invest 180 million US dollars in the next two years as part of the company's restructuring program.