Zambia-based telecoms company Zamtel, recently officially commissioned a new communication tower at Chiwawatala Basic School in Mambwe District in that country’s Eastern Province.
According to the state-owned telco provider, the Chiwawatala site is part of the 51 sites that have so far been switched on in the region as part of the 1009 new communication towers to be erected under the Zambian Government Communication Tower project.
The new tower is expected to improve the communication needs of the local people whose livelihood is mainly tourism and agriculture based.
Sydney Mupeta,CEO, Zamtel, said: “In Eastern Province alone, we had 46 sites before commissioning the GRZ project. So far we have added 51 communications sites on the network under the project bringing the total number of sites in the province to 97.”
Zamtel has so far erected 658 new communication towers countrywide with the remaining 351 sites planned for completion in 2020.
Mupeta added:“This leaves us with 57 sites to be commissioned within the year. As you can see, Eastern Province alone will have a total of 154 sites which will result in increased access to communication in a number of areas in this region.” he said.
He pointed out that Zamtel views Eastern Province as a region with massive economic potential and continues to makes a great contribution to the economic development of Zambia.
“We believe that adequate communication services will play an important part in realising this potential,” he explained.
Eastern Province Minister Makebi Zulu, said Zamtel should be commended for extending the network coverage to Mambwe District.
“The provision of communication services will help government to rollout various telecoms services such as the cash transfer scheme and the e-voucher programme.
