19 July 2019

Zambia has turned to developing ICTs to boost growth in the country’s digital economy.

That is according to a new report from Research & Markets, which says consumers have benefited from access to international submarine fibre optic cables within the landlocked country. 

Furthermore, their introduction has resulted in a considerable reduction in fixed-line and mobile access pricing. 

In addition, tariffs have been reduced in recent quarters as network operators battle to gain customers in anticipation of the launch of services by UZI Telecom.

The government’s Universal Access Fund has made considerable progress in delivering telecom services to historically underserved areas, mainly by financing the erection of over 1,000 base stations. By the middle of last year, the project had helped extend mobile coverage to about 95% of the population. It is expected to be half-complete by the end of 2019.

Meanwhile, mobile network operators continue to invest in 3G and LTE-based services, while several ISPs have also rolled out WiMAX wireless broadband networks.

MTN Zambia has initiated an FttP program, initially in Lusaka and these developments are expected to increase overall broadband penetration significantly in coming years.