Online Reporter
The Herald 8 December 1990
PTC should be allowed more autonomy in choosing equipment which is better suited to local needs and which can save the country substantial amounts of money, a local telecommunications expert said yesterday.
“The latest and the greatest technology is not necessarily the best for African countries in general,” the expert told The Herald, pointing out the sophistication of some equipment displayed at the Telecom 90 exhibition.
He refused to have his name mentioned.
He said African countries were caught in a tight spot where sophisticated technology was being imposed on them because of the technology race in developed countries.
The extensive use of surface mounted devices on much of the displayed equipment was indicative of the very large amounts of foreign exchange that would be needed for repair and maintenance work.
Surface-mounted devices are very minute and sophisticated components mounted on the circuit boards of electronic equipment.
These were more intricate than “discreet components”, which are much larger and easier to identify and repair.
The expert said that Zimbabweans were quite well-versed in discreet component boards and as such repair and maintenance costs on equipment using this type of technology were much lower.
He also alleged that a major problem African countries faced was that decision-makers were not necessarily people with sufficient knowledge on the subjects they were making decisions on.
Lessons for today:
- The expert emphasised that “the latest and greatest technology is not necessarily the best for African countries.” When adopting technology, organisations and countries should prioritise solutions that fit their local context, considering infrastructure, skills, and maintenance capacity, rather than blindly following global trends.
- Sophisticated equipment with surface-mounted devices required high foreign exchange for repairs. African countries were pressured to adopt advanced technology due to global tech races. Decision-makers should resist external pressure and make independent choices that serve local priorities, not just global prestige.
- These principles apply today in areas like ICT procurement, infrastructure development, and digital transformation strategies. For example, when African countries adopt cloud services or AI tools, they should consider local bandwidth, data sovereignty, and cost implications rather than chasing the most advanced global solutions.
- The expert argued that PTC should choose equipment suited to local needs rather than adopting the “latest and greatest” technology.
