Telecommunication
Infrastructure | Informatics | ICT Training and Development |
Broadcasting/Media
Telecommunication Infrastructure
The Telecommunication Act,
activated on force on July 1, 1994, split the Posts and Telecommunications Corporation
(PTC), a subsidiary of Zambia Industrial and Mining Corporation (ZIMCO), into two autonomous
entities: Zambia Postal Services Corporation reverted to being an autonomous entity wholly
owned by the Government, and Zambia Telecommunications Company Limited (ZAMTEL) retained
the status of a limited liability company, with Government as sole shareholder.
ZAMTEL is
currently the national operator in the country providing telecommunications
network and services.
The Telecommunication Act of July
1994 established the Communications Authority of Zambia (CAZ),
whose main responsibilities are to regulate and monitor the provision and operation of
telecommunication services in the country and to oversee the coexistence of the various
entities involved in the sector.
Teledensity:
- Total: 0.93
(1999)
- Largest cities:
2.30 (1998)
- Rest of the country:
0.59 (1998)
Digital main lines: 73.1%
(1998)
Waiting list for a telephone
line:
- Total: 8,000 (1998)
- Average waiting time:
>10 years (1998)
- Total demand (k):
85.7 (1998)
- Satisfied demand (%):
90.7 (1998)
Telephone Tariff :
| PSTN
connection charge - residential |
US$ 30 |
| PSTN
connection charge - business |
US$ 81 |
| PSTN monthly
susbcription - residential |
US$ 2.7 |
| PSTN monthly
susbcription - business |
US$ 5.4 |
| PSTN three
minute local call |
US$ 0.06 |
Source: World
Telecommunication Development Report, 1999
Public telephones: 550
(1998)
ZAMTEL is in the
process of installing 400 token-operated payphones and 150 smart card phones across the
country. ASCOM from Denmark is supplying the equipment.
Public telephones per 1000
inhabitants: 0.06 (1998)
Mobile cellular subscribers:
28,200 (1999)
The cellular providers in Zambia
are:
ZAMTEL, which
operates its own mobile cellular network;
TELECEL Zambia, a
subsidiary of TELECEL International with branches in 10 African countries. The company is
30% locally owned and it has currently 700 subscribers; and
Zamcell Cellular
Network. The Development Bank of Southern
Africa (DBSA) agreed to extend a loan to Zamcell Limited in the amount of US$ 4.5 million
(R 25 million), for the installation and operation of a nation-wide GSM-based digital
cellular telecommunications network in Zambia. The loan agreement was signed on 18 November,
1998, in Lusaka. Zamcell Limited was awarded a 15-year licence to operate
the second private-sector cellular telecommunications network in Zambia.
Cellular subscribers as a % of
total telephone subscribers: 25.3 (1999)
Mobile cellular tariffs (1999):
| Connection
charge |
US$ 49 |
| Monthly
susbcription |
US$
43.50 |
| One minute
local call - peak |
US$ 0.40 |
| One minute
local call - off-peak |
US$ 0.28 |
Source: World
Telecommunication Development Report, 1999
Telecommunications revenue (M
US$): 102.0 (1998)
Telecommunications investment (M
US$): 10.8 (1998)
Telecommunications investment as
a % of revenue: 10.6 (1998)
Telecom equipment exports (M
US$): na
Telecom equipment imports (M
US$): na
Telecentres: na
Facsimiles: 1,000
(1998)
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Informatics
The major networking centre
is the Information Technology (IT) Resources Center of the University of Zambia (UNZA). The Computer Centre
established a commercially oriented Consultancy and Training Unit (CTU) to provide
consultancy and training services in Information Technology to the IT market in Zambia.
The UNECA's Sub-Regional
Development Centre for Southern Africa (SRDC-SA) is located in Lusaka and is charged
with supporting sub-regional electronic information exchange networks between economic
experts, civil society, NGOs, private sector organisations and major
corporations.
There are currently 3 Internet Service Providers in
Zambia. The average communication costs are:
| Connection
charges |
US$ 25.00 |
| Monthly
fixed charge |
US$
20.00/month |
Computer
per 100 inhabitants: 0.72
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ICT
Training and Development
The Computer Centre of the
University of Zambia established a commercial Consultancy and Training Unit (CTU). The CTU has been instrumental in providing
training for everyone in the University to maximise the use of the IT available
facilities. Training is provided for communication in electronic mail (e-mail), use of the
Internet, and use of applications for productivity and management (mainly Microsoft
applications and systems designed for accounting and finance, and student management
systems). The CTU provides also consultancy in the area of Information Technology.
The School of Education of
the University of Zambia (UNZA) offers a four-year program leading to the degree
of Bachelor of Arts degree with Library and Information Studies. The School of
Engineering within the University has a degree programme in electrical
engineering.
Zamtel Staff Training
College is a Technical and Vocational Training College registered under the
Department of Technical Education and Vocational Training (DTEVT), and it is wholly
owned by the Zambia Telecommunications Company Limited and the Zambia Postal Services
Corporation as a collaborating partner. The Zamtel Staff Training College was established
in 1972 with the assistance of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the
International Telecommunications Union (ITU), and Universal Postal Union (UPU). The College, which was
established to produce trained personnel for the then Posts and Telecommunications
Corporation (PTC), extended training to other organisations like parastatals, government,
etc. Students from neighbouring countries have also been training at the college. After
twenty-five years in existence, the Staff Training College intends to introduce a
City and Guilds Diploma Programme in Telecommunications Technology. The diploma programme
will focus on Telecommunications Technology and Business Management. The programme's
approach will ensure the quality of future output and performance in a highly competitive
business environment.
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Broadcasting/Media
Radio broadcasting:
The Zambian National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC) operates 3 stations.
(Radio 1 transmits in 7 languages, Radios 2 and 4 transmits only in English.
Other radio broadcasters are
Radio Phoenix FM, Radio Icengelo (which is owned by the Catholic Church), and Christian
Voice.
Television broadcasting: ZNBC
also operates the only TV station currently available in the country. The company covers
approximately 35% of Zambia's land space and reaches 45% of the population.
Two more TV operators have been
licensed and are expected to start operations soon. These are Trinity Broadcasting Network
(TBN), a Christian TV station in the USA, and Cable Satellite TV of South Africa.
ZNBC (30%) has a joint venture with
MultiChoice (70%). The latter has about 9,400 subscribers in Nodola, Livingstone,
Lusaka and Kitwe, and may extend services to Luansha. Multichoice plans to work with the
new Cable Satellite TV station as a way to diversify into subscriber management services.
Radios per
100 inhabitants: 15.70 (1997)
Television
receivers per 100 inhabitants: 13.70 (1998)
Pay TV
decoders: 10,000 (1997 estimates)
Cable TV
subscribers: na
Home
satellite dishes/antennas: na
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