Zambia Telecommunications Company Limited (ZAMTEL) has announced that it will spend over US$104 million for its various expansion projects by next year.
ZAMTEL managing director Simon Tembo said his company has embarked on a number of projects to improve its efficiency in service delivery both in the country and neighboring country.
Mr. Tembo said these would include the Lusaka metropolitan optical fiber network, national optical fiber network , the next generation network (NGN) and the cell z expansion project to cover all the 72 districts in the country.
He said this at a joint press briefing with Huawei Technologies in Lusaka when he announced the implementation of the Lusaka metropolitan optical fiber network project which is expected to be commissioned on January 20th next year.
Mr. Tembo said once commissioned the 3 million US dollar project would enable the provision of advanced value added services such as electronic government and commerce, high speed internet access. and other economic development initiatives.
He added that the project will also enhance other economic development initiatives aimed at helping information communication technology (ICT) in order to help reduce poverty in the country.
Mr. Tembo noted that once the project is complete it will help make business communication easier and less costly and help accelerate development in Lusaka and the nation at large.
The ZAMTEL managing director also revealed that most of the equipment to complete the project has already arrived in the country adding that installation works have also commenced.
He has since called upon both private and public institutions to support the initiative by subscribing to the service as it will improve their business efficiency and reduce the cost of doing their business.
And speaking at the same occasion Huawei technologies public relations manager Alice Qi said her company is confident of covering Lusaka by January 20th next year as scheduled.
Ms. Qi said upon covering the capital city with the optical fiber network her company will immediately embark on installing the national optic fiber network.
With optic fiber technology, hopefully the costs of internet will be reduced and LT can have more bloggers!
This is terrific and absolutely wonderful news of the year! I wish I could be part of the project, but well can only wish my country a sucessful implementation of this project, someday I will come and enjoy the benefits, congrats to Zamtel.
LusakaTimes a wonderful source of news about Zed, just stumbled on this site yesterday night! Will be part of my favourite sites, plus the post Zambian news I am certainly covered!
Enjoy Xmas and New Year!
The best news for a long time! I look forward to the day when telecommunication costs near zero. Then and only then will real development start.
In telecoms you need more than laying Fibers to succeed. Zamtel has always under performed with any technology. Simon has been singing this ong for over five years.
We want to hear what he will be doing with this Fiber otherwise it will be another white elephant
I’ve been hearing all sots of good news since 1992 but nothing will change and i can promice you that this same ZAMTEL will be sold to foreigner very soon and will will be left with nothing.
#4 & 5 especially you HK sometimes constructive critic. I want to tell you I just bought my mother a celluar phone. I can now 24 hrs in touch with home. Be positive Zambia is changing.
This is positive news but leaves much to be practically seen in terms of actual fruition and development.There`s so much talk and less action with these parastatals and in my opinion any tangible results can only be achieved if Zamtel would be privatised.Leave these entities in private hands except instruments directly connected with our national security.
Thats the best news to close the year with. Zed really need infrastructure and any news in that direction is very welcome. This is what our leaders need to realise, that for Zed to have any meaningful development, they need to develop infrastructure. Then the rest will just fall in place.
zamtel is very poor technically and business wise. In their history of investing, they have never made any tangible ROI on time..they are always saddled with poor tactics and high labour turnove where it matters..results zero.Partial privatising way foward
How can we develop when we have olny got one international get away in zambia, think about this zamtel, you are being protected by the govn`t, you are a baby who will naver grow to face the competition from the private sector.
You do not even need to announce this coz just from the word go it sounds more political than tech. development in zambia.
Sata is a thug, charges Sinyangwe
SATA is a thug with no leadership qualities, Matero Patriotic Front (PF) member of parliament Faustina Sinyangwe has charged.Reacting to her attack by suspected PF cadres who on Friday roughed her up and poured beer on her, Sinyangwe said Sata had failed to run the party and that the party was falling apart, saying that was why he was resorting to violence.
The visibly shocked Sinyangwe who narrated the ordeal at her residence in Avondale, expressed disappointment at Sata’s continued violent behavior against his members of parliament, especially those who had gone to participate in the National Constitutional Conference (NCC).
“It was this morning (Friday) when I received an SMS short messaging service from one of my colleagues saying that Mr. Sata will be mobilising cadres to come and disrupt the meeting which I wanted to address in Matero for the Ward Development Committee. So, this person said however they have alerted the police and advised me that when I go to Matero, I should pass through the police station.
was a bit worried, so I called the Inspector General of police Ephraim Mateyo. I talked to him that this is what I have heard. So after that I talked to the police in Matero as well and the lady who was on duty said the police had already gone to the venue of the meeting. So, when I reached the venue, I found that people had changed the venue because of the information that PF cadres would disturb the meeting,” Sinyangwe narrated.
I was later taken to the new venue. I started with introduction of the meeting agenda. I had all the ward development committees from all the five wards in Matero and the agenda was for us to form a committee that would supervise the constituency development projects and also to come up with a work-plan for next year.”
Sinyangwe said shortly, she saw Sata’s four security men walking into the building.
“They walked in with other cadres that I did not know very well with beer (Shake Shake packs). And they asked me what I was doing in Matero constituency.
he said then, Sata’s men forcibly pulled and pushed her out of the building with some cadres pouring beer on her.“They started pushing me with force as if I was a criminal. They beat me with Shake Shake packets and poured beer on me. They forced me into my car and I drove off. It was so disgusting, so disheartening. It was really bad,” Sinyangwe said. “Then I called the police but I was told that due to the change of the venue, the police were late but promised to bring the culprits to book. I l
I later called Mr. Sata and told him off.”She said if Sata could behave so viciously at party level, it was doubtful how he could run the country if he became a republican president.
She said if Sata could behave so viciously at party level, it was doubtful how he could run the country if he became a republican president.I called Mr. Sata and I was very rough with him. I did not even give him chance to utter any word. I told him he is just a devil, the worst in fact.That is not the kind of politics that people want to see. Politics of 1940s in 2007?” Sinyangwe wondered.
She said if Sata could behave so viciously at party level, it was doubtful how he could run the country if he became a republican president.I told him he is just a devil, the worst in fact.That is not the kind of politics that people want to see. Politics of 1940s in 2007?” Sinyangwe wondered.
if Sata could behave so viciously at party level, it was doubtful how he could run the country if he became a republican president.
I told him he is just a devil, the worst in fact.That is not the kind of politics that people want to see. Politics of 1940s in 2007?” Sinyangwe wondered.
That is not the kind of politics that people want to see. Politics of 1940s in 2007.
He is just a devil, the worst in fact.
Faustina, you are jst a selfish woman who is merely reapin what she sow. What have u done in Matero, i live in Matero and the roads are bad, you keep singing the song about Chinese working on our water supply problems and nothing has come forth. Who sanctioned your stay in the NCC coz yo party did not and i dont rememba any meeting held in Matero to discuss the issue. If u want to continue practicing selfish politics, thats wat u get.
Welcome to the real world! You are discovering now what most of us knew a long time ago about Sata. Unfortunately I have no sympathy for those who voluntarily put themselves at the mercy of Sata and company. The man has never changed, he has been the same thug he was more than half a century ago.
Sorry folks, the subject of this discussion should be the Zamtel investment. I think it is welcome news, and it could be the turning point for Telecom in Zambia. Weldone Zamtel!
#6 EASY Uliwakaso sana, palyaponse, this is when you’ve thought of buying your mum a phone? kano kuli chibuku.
Rightly said #27.Big ups to Zamtel.We are all very positive and happy wit the dev in Zed.
LAMBWAZA KACHALI #11 TO #24
Aren`t you tired of PASTE and COPY?Make use of your brain cells by contributing things on your mind.Hopefully your BOOTLICKING traits will be left in 2007.Stay on topic young man.
Am one of those tired of waiting for optical fibre. This song has been sung as others have already said for some time now. I leaved in a country were this tech is the state of art. It’s been frustrating for me to use all the Zamtel facilities coz all of it is very “federal”. Zamtel has all the infru but slow at doing things. Can’t wait for a time when internet will be on CellZ and I guess it’s going to be cheaper. All other Cellular providers have gone WAP but CellZ … What a network. God help
Well about SATA those who want to vote for him should go ahead. I prayed that he should not be president and God answered me. I prevented the nation from being ruled by the snake called “Cobra”. Remember his administration beginning from Sikazwe. VOTE WISELY!