adminOfficially opening the 8th annual general meeting of the Association of Regulators of Information and Communication for Eastern and Southern Africa in Victoria Falls yesterday, Minister Goche said consumer protection policy issues and quality of service were very important in this day when the country and the world at large were experiencing an upsurge in the use of communication technologies.
“I am reliably informed that the meeting will focus, among other things, on consumer protection policy issues and quality of service roadmap. Consumers must be able to communi-cate their concerns to operators without fear. Ultimately, the role of regulators revolves around the protection of consumers in the liberalised communications policy environment.
“In Zimbabwe, the Government policy objectives for the communica-tions sector are the promotion of access, affordability of service and the pursuit of service quality comparable to the best in the world,” he said.
Minister Goche said the Government established the Universal Services Fund to extend services to the previously marginalised areas.
“I am therefore pleased to inform you that Potraz is currently working on a number of projects to expand network coverage and improve the quality of services to all corners of the country,” he said.
Minister Goche said work was also under way on a postcode and addressing system that would see every household having a unique identifier.
Minister Goche said that would enable the timely distribution and delivery of services to consumers at all times.
“It also enables other stakeholders to conduct their activities and business quickly, easily and accurately. In Haiti, the postcode was used to aid communication and distribution of emergency aid after the devastating earthquake.
“Further the Universal Service Fund is also assisting the post office migrate to a provider of a wider service range that is enabled by innovations in information and communication technologies. The fund is financing both counter automation and installa-tion of a wide area network,” said Minister Goche.
He said telephone subscribers, both fixed and mobile, had increased in the country from about 50 000 in 2001 to almost nine million at present.
“Most of that growth has been registered in the mobile cellular sub-sector where mobile tele-density had grown from 2,9 percent in 2001 to over 73 percent as at December 2011. Internet usage has also grown exponentially promoted by increased access to mobile services as well as innovations in the fixed telephony services such as Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL),” he said.
Minister Goche said by their very nature, ICTs cut across economic, social, political and even geographic boundaries.
“In so doing, technology brings with it both opportunities and threats. We must do all in our power to harness the opportunities created by having technologies that allow instantaneous communications. At the same time, we look to regional organisations, including Comesa, to lead the debate around cyber-security and developing strategies to counter such threats.
“Increased use of communication technologies will depend, largely on the confidence with which the public view them. In Zimbabwe we are engaged with the International Telecommunica-tions Union on this matter but it is important to also get a regional view,” he said.
In her remarks, the Universal Postal Union (UPU) regional coordinator for Southern and Eastern Africa, Ms Gladys Mushayavanhu said within the postal sector, the globalisation of markets had resulted in major challenges emanating from changing needs, growth in electronic commerce, deregulation and liberalisation of postal markets, increasing competition and technological developments.
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