Minister Hon. Felix Mutati has challenged mobile service operators to make investments that would make Zambia a connectivity hub for the region in order to boost the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) earnings.
And Hon. Mutati has called for increased smart phone connectivity.
Addressing mobile service providers and regulators at a ZICTA dialogue breakfast meeting, Hon. Mutati said mobile service operators should increase investment, coverage and capacity in the sector while challenging the regulator to be responsive when engaged in terms of product approval.
“As we deal with quality of service, we must also ensure that we improve connectivity by having more and more smart phones.” he said.
Hon. Mutati noted that Zambia has the lowest smart phone availability at an average of only 30 percent in the southern African Region, a situation he said affects the country’s connectivity both locally and internationally.
Hon. Mutati who is Movement for Democratic Change MDC President, an alliance partner of the UPND bemoaned that the sector currently contributes below 5 percent to the national GDP while other countries within the region are contributing between 5 and 10 percent.
He stressed the need for the science and technology sector to increase its GDP contribution as this will help create jobs, harvest tax revenues, create consumer happiness and help Zambia connect digitally.
Meanwhile, ZICTA Acting Director General, Mwenya Mutale said the authority will focus on collaboration by being open and inclusive in decision making based on evidence and data.
Mr. Mutale said the authority will also take a balanced route in its regulation by ensuring that both the consumer and service providers are happy in an effort to ensure that the sector is well functioning and contributes to the growth of the economy.
