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Thandiwe Katinhimure, Business Reporter
THE Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (Potraz) is presently working on a $250 million project to build mobile phone towers at under-served areas in the country, a Cabinet Minister has said.
Information Communication Technology (ICT) Postal and Courier Services Minister Supa Mandiwanzira last Wednesday told Parliament the project would cater for more than 500 mobile phone towers.
“There is a project that is currently being worked on by Potraz to the tune of $250 million where the intention is to build more than 500 mobile phone towers that should be shared by all network operators in areas that are under-served,” he said.
Minister Mandiwanzira also urged network operators to put into consideration building infrastructure in non-urban areas because it is their responsibility to cater for urban and non-urban areas in providing network.
“We also expect that licensed operators must not just put up infrastructure in urban centres because they also have a responsibility to serve those Zimbabweans who do not reside in urban centres.”
“So we also expect that their investment goes to areas that are unserved or under-served,” said Min Mandiwanzira.
He stressed that the Universal Services Fund (USF) contributed to by all telecommunication service providers was also catering for under-served areas.
Potraz is the custodian of the USF, a pool of funds contributed by companies in the sector meant for the development and provision of telecommunications in under-serviced areas.
“The objective of that fund is to ensure that there is investment of telecommunication infrastructure or services in areas that are unserved or under-served,” Min Mandiwanzira said.
Last year, Potraz said it would be rolling out a multi-million dollar project under the USF.
The project will provide communication services to two million people living in outlying areas where there is no access to the facilities.
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