By Angela Moonga
Zambia Information and Communications Technology Authority (ZICTA) has warned that it will not stand by while consumers continue to suffer dropped calls, poor internet connectivity and unreliable service delivery.
Speaking at press briefing yesterday on the state of mobile telecommunications quality of service and the authority’s intervention, ZICTA director general engineer Collins Mbulo said the persistent deterioration in the quality of electronic communication services was not only worrying but a direct threat to Zambia’s digital transformation agenda, economic competitiveness, and the daily lives of citizens.
He said the Zambian people deserved better, adding that deterioration in the quality of electronic services undermined productivity, frustrated innovation and eroded public trust in the very systems meant to connect and empower people.
Mbulo said the era of poor service should surely be over, adding that the people of Zambia were no longer pleading for improved services but demanding for it.
“As Zambia Information and Communications Technology Authority (ZICTA), we will not stand by while consumers continue to suffer dropped calls, poor internet connectivity and unreliable service delivery. Surely decisive action needs to be taken,” Mbulo said.
He said ZICTA had issued mandatory and binding directives to all mobile network operators and tower infrastructure providers among them, the licensees were required to expand network infrastructure:
Mbulo said immediate investment was expected to increase capacity and coverage, especially in underserved and rural areas.
He said the mobile network operators are expected to secure network continuity.
“All hub sites must be equipped with robust backup systems to ensure uninterrupted service during power outages, adopt Sustainable Energy Solutions: Solar, hybrid, and other renewable energy systems must be deployed to reduce downtime and enhance network resilience,” he said.
Mbulo also announced that he had given Infratel and IHS Towers a strict 21-day deadline to present tangible, realistic, and time-bound measures to ensure that all communication towers are adequately provided with redundancy measures to enhance network resilience.
He warned that failure to comply will attract regulatory consequences.
Mbulo further warned that ZICTA would not hesitate to invoke its regulatory powers against any operator or provider that failed to meet the prescribed Quality of Service (QoS) standards.
“The days of excuses are over. We are monitoring performance, and we will hold service providers accountable,” Mbulo stated.
He stated that the ICT sector was the backbone of the digital economy adding that it must be reliable, inclusive, and future-ready.
Mbulo said ZICTA’s interventions were not isolated as they were part of a broader national agenda to build a resilient, consumer-centric and innovation-driven telecommunications ecosystem.
“We will continue to engage all stakeholders such as the operators, consumers, civil society and development partners to ensure that these reforms are implemented with urgency and integrity. We demand excellence, accountability and results from the licensees,” said Mbulo.
