Mthabisi Tshuma [email protected]
A specialised Commercial Arrangements Unit should be established within Potraz to monitor commercial deals between operators, mediate disputes and guarantee that every marginalized ward attains full digital coverage, Information Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services Minister Tatenda Mavetera has said.
Minister Mavetera made the remarks during the official opening of the telecommunications regulator’s 2026 strategy workshop being held in Bulawayo.
In a speech read on her behalf by ICT Deputy Minister Dingumuzi Phuti, Minister Mavetera said the proposed unit will be critical in enforcing active infrastructure sharing and ensuring the Universal Service Fund delivers tangible connectivity for all Zimbabweans.
“Potraz should consider establishing a dedicated Commercial Arrangements Unit. This specialised Unit will be tasked with monitoring, evaluating and overseeing commercial arrangements between operators, mediating disputes swiftly, enforcing active sharing modalities, and ensuring that the Universal Service Fund directly yields 100% digital coverage across all marginalised wards.
“When the Government of Zimbabwe observed that a significant percentage of our population in rural and remote communities remained underserved or entirely unserved, we took a firm policy stance. We introduced infrastructure sharing and mandated tower relocation using the Universal Service Fund (USF) as strategic interventions to bridge this persistent digital divide,” said Minister Mavetera.
Minister Mavetera said while they commend the Telecommunications Sector for embracing the sharing of passive infrastructure such as towers, civil works and physical sites, they candidly acknowledge that passive sharing alone has not closed the gap at the required speed.
“As we look ahead to 2027, Government expects the Regulator to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the effectiveness of these policy directives. This evaluation must include revisiting Commercial Terms and Conditions where Potraz must thoroughly review the commercial arrangements entered into by Network Operators to ensure that they are fair, non-discriminatory, cost-reflective and do not act as hidden barriers to market expansion or network rollout in marginalized areas.
“There should be transitioning from passive to active infrastructure sharing. While passive sharing has yielded initial gains, the time has come to actively explore and implement active infrastructure sharing, including Multi-Operator Core Networks (MOCN), Radio Access Network (RAN) sharing, spectrum pooling, and national roaming models.
“Let me state unequivocally: as policy makers, we remain deeply unsatisfied as long as our rural communities remain unconnected. Excluding rural citizens from digital connectivity systematically excludes them from participating in the national digital economy,” said Minister Mavetera.
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