Chronicle Editor
Rutendo Nyeve, Sunday News Reporter
THE Government is set to embark on an audit of the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) infrastructure in order to identify areas where infrastructure is lacking and improve connectivity to those regions.
The initiative aligns with Government’s Vision 2030 agenda, which aims to ensure nationwide digitalisation.
Minister of Information Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services, Dr Tatenda Mavetera, said in an interview that the Government will implement various measures to achieve that goal.
The audit will play a crucial role in mapping out the areas that require infrastructure development to support the Government’s digitalisation efforts.
“We are working on modalities to conduct an audit of our infrastructure. This will be done by the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (Potraz). The audit is meant to identify areas which are not connected to the network due to infrastructure constraints. This will help us to come up with a plan to equip our areas,” said Dr Mavetera.
She said the Government is already relocating more towers under the shared base station project, which seeks to relocate base stations owned by the country’s three mobile network operators located in the same areas to other areas on a shared basis.
The shared base stations are expected to enhance telecommunication services in Zimbabwe through providing wider consumer choice and an enhanced service competition which in turn promotes creativity and innovation.
“The audit will help in the shared base station concept and above all in our digitalisation agenda. We want to create digital parks, have digital ambassadors. President Mnangagwa has given us a task to digitalise the country and we have an agenda to do so in line with Vision 2030,” said Dr Mavetera.
The Universal Service Fund (USF) is being used to deploy shared base stations in under-served areas, mostly in rural areas that are uneconomic for operators.
Infrastructure sharing has also gone beyond the shared base station concept as the mobile operators are leasing towers from the National Railways of Zimbabwe, Transmedia, Zimra and Local Authorities (tower lights, high rise buildings).
Powertel is also laying its national fibre backbone over existing electricity pylons and Liquid Intelligent Technologies is also laying fibre optic cables over electricity pylons, in some residential areas, through a commercial agreement with Zesa.
“Such activities are a result of the Government’s infrastructure sharing policy aimed at reducing costs and providing access to under-served areas. Moreso, these initiatives align with President Mnangagwa’s vision for universal connectivity and digitally literate Zimbabweans as enshrined in the mantra ‘leaving no one and no place behind’.
“By allowing multiple service providers to share infrastructure such as towers and base stations, it becomes more economically feasible to reach all areas. This not only reduces operational expenses but also fosters healthy competition among service providers,” said Minister Mavetera. — @nyeve14.
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