Q FM Africa's Modern Radio
Two hundred communication towers have been constructed countrywide under phase one of government’s global system mobile communication services program as of 28th February, 2015.
Transport, Works, Supply and Communication Minister Yamfwa Mukanga has disclosed that out of the 200 communication towers, 152 are functional and on air.
Transport, Works, Supply and Communication Minister Yamfwa Mukanga
In a ministerial statement to Parliament this afternoon, Mr. Mukanga has further disclosed that 21 others are awaiting connection to the electricity national grid by ZESCO to become functional.
Mr. Mukanga adds that construction of four more communication towers is ongoing.
He has however told the house that he has received reports from the Zambia Information and Communications Authority (ZICTA) that 27 towers that were on air have ceased to be functional.
Mr. Mukanga says the report from ZICTA indicates that the cause for this has been either that the towers developed technical faults due to vandalism or theft of solar panels and cables from the sites.
He says government has put in place measures aimed at addressing the identified causes of technical faults on the towers.
Mr. Mukanga states that his Ministry is thus confident that upon completion of phase one of the global system mobile communication services program, the country will attain 84 percent mobile geographical coverage up from 78.74 percent as at December 2012.