Maravi

(LUSAKATIMES) Underutilization of mobile phones services worry govt

Underutilization of mobile phones services worry govt
Wednesday, August 12, 2009, 13:47

Government has expressed worry at the underutilization of mobile phone services in the country. Transport and Communications Minister, Geoffrey Lungwangwa, says many people are not able to access the many mobile phone services that companies in the sector are offering.

Professor Lungwangwa said this when he led the Parliamentary Committee on Communication and Local government in touring Zain Headquarters in Lusaka today. He said people have limited usage of mobile phone services as they are only using it to make phone calls and sending messages.

Prof. Lungwangwa said there was need for people to start using mobile phones to access other services such as the INTERNET to enable them obtain vital information as well as getting connected to the rest of the world.

“The usability of mobile phone technology in Zambia is still underutilized, people have limited use for it, and they only use it for calling but cannot access mobile INTERNET and such other services” he said.

“The usability of mobile phone technology in Zambia is still underutilized, people have limited use for it, and they only use it for calling but cannot access mobile INTERNET and such other services” he said.

Meanwhile, Professor Lungwangwa has assured that the international gate way is still under government control.

And speaking earlier, Member of the Parliamentary Committee on Communication and Local government, Ngandu Magande called on Zain Zambia to connect Information Communication Technology (ICT’s) to the rural areas.

Mr. Magande said he was impressed with the development of ICT in the country though rural areas where still untapped.

And Zain Zambia, Managing Director, David Holliday, said his company was investing in optic fiber in Lusaka, Livingstone, the Copperbelt and other major cities to improve on the speed of connectivity.

Mr. Holliday said the company had already stated laying the optic fiber in Lusaka and would soon go to other cities staring with Livingstone and the Copperbelt.

He said this would reduce the cost of connectivity adding that the current connectivity by satellite is expensive.

Meanwhile, Mr. Holiday said the Third Generation (3G) license the communication Authority (CA) issued to Zain was not for commercial use but for testing purposes.

He said Zain was still waiting for permission from government to give them the license to officially launch the 3G license.

Mr. Holliday further disclosed that his company has embarked on a training programme called ‘train the trainer’ where Zambian technicians and engineers are taken to study abroad-Zanis

Labels: GEOFFREY LUNGWANGWA, ITC

posted by MrK @ 6:10 PM