11 December 2024

Zambia has launched public free WiFi at the InterCity bus station in Lusaka.

Felix Mutati, minister of technology and science, said that the move reflected dedication to bridging the digital divide and empowering citizens, particularly marketers and travellers, who are the ‘backbone’ of local economy. This effort provides marketers with access to online services, financial services, and business-growth tools, while travellers benefit from seamless communication and access to information, which improves their journeys and livelihoods, said the minister.

“We’re excited to work with the government to provide Wi-Fi equipment and a reliable bandwidth capacity of 25Mbps at each of the pilot sites. This program will surely improve the lives of Zambians,” said Duncan Pie, regional manager at Inq Digital.

“With this joint launch, we are providing free internet to the public to access over 320 government services from various government organisations via the Zam-portal. This can now be done from your smartphone or device, without having to visit a government office,” said Percy Chinyama, Smart Zambia’s national coordinator.