ZANIS COPIES – Govt to construct 270 communication towers

—–Government says it will construct 270 communication 2G and 3G towers next year to cost millions of Kwacha.

Mid-this year, government engaged a Chinese firm, Hawei, to construct 169 site towers at a cost of K70.3 million in all the chiefdoms across the country.

Minister of Transport, Works, Supply and Communications, Yamfwa Mukanga, says the project of erecting the communication towers would commerce in January, 2015. 

Mr Mukanga, who launched  a base transceiver station at Chikando village in Chipata district to symbolise the rolling out of 169 communication sites, reaffirmed government’s commitment to connecting rural Zambia to G2 and G3 services that are faster, efficient and effective.

Mr Mukanga in an interview, said information and communication technologies have a significant role to play in promoting social and economic development in the nation.

The minister disclosed that additional 35 communication towers would be constructed before the end of this year, bringing the total number to 204 towers in order to empower the Zambian people with improved communication facilities.

He said his ministry, working closely with MTN and Zambia Information and Communications Technology Authority (ZICTA), wants to improve the livelihood of individuals, community prosperity and achieve national development goals related to the UN Millennium Development Goals on ICTs. 

Meanwhile, Mr Mukanga says Zambia is ready for the Universal Access roll out. 

He said under this programme mobile communication service operators working with ZICTA, government wants to ensure access in un-served and under-served areas is accelerated.