Performance of Internet in Zambia

By Brenda Zulu
The ICT sector in Zambia has experienced rapid changes over the last decade. Access to information and the capacity to communicate have increased with the advent of the Internet, digital satellite television and cellular networks over the past five years. Since 1993, the Zambian Government has taken a number of measures to reform the ICT sector.
Internet Services
Zambia was one of the pioneers of Internet services in Sub-Saharan Africa almost ten years ago. Unfortunately the growth and penetration of Internet has been very slow compared to many countries in Africa.
Various service providers have been licensed to operate Internet services but only five companies are operational.
Government recognises emerging interactive broadband products as being a key component of telecommunications business in the promotion of a wide range of high-speed access options. The regulator will tailor proper regulatory framework to facilitate the establishment of alternative infrastructure in the access network.

Data Networks
Internet Service Providers are some of the major promoters of data networks in the country.
The financial sector dominated by commercial banks, pension and insurance service providers are also actively spearheading the expansion of private data networks across the country.
Due to inadequate and poor ICT infrastructure, the main option for connecting corporate branches outside the line of rail is the VSAT technology. This technology is easy to deploy across long distances but has inherent high recurrent costs associated with lease of the space
segment.

National ICT Infrastructure Backbone
There are considerable changes in the dynamics of operations in the telecommunications industry over the past decade or so. Today, most electricity carrier operators are seizing the opportunity created by Fibre Optic Technology in relation to existing power grid transmission networks. This is prompting many power utility companies in the region and internationally to invest in the telecommunications sector by obtaining licenses as Bandwidth Bulk Carriers based on Fibre Optic Technology.
Unlike other neighbouring countries which have made substantial investments in telecommunications infrastructure, Zambia is now installing fibre optic backbone covering the whole country.Internet access in Zambia has not expended tremendously largely due to high costs of connectivity. This has confined internet access only to a few parts within the urban areas covering only about 55 000 users. The experience of these users on internet has not been very good either, due to intermittent disconnections and signal loses.
Where are we with the internet in Zambia?Zambia faces as an internal digital divide with 80 percent of the internet users coming from Lusaka. In Zambia it was easier to communicate with European countries than with rural areas. The telephone system was either poor or non existent in rural Zambia since there are only about 90 000 landlines country wide.

The cost of internet access was very high and that it is also irrelevant to most Zambians. Internet technology which has redefined some of our work, communicate, transact and play is now moving towards being a utility in the global village.

All this is attributed to the economic capacity of majority Zambians. Communication infrastructure is underdeveloped with high cost of trunk calls, computers and accessories, internet access and also No policy for rural connectivity.
There is also need for Zambia to have a favourable regulatory framework, review taxes on communication equipment and a rural connectivity model.