BY NUNURAI JENA
Information and Communications Technology, Postal and Courier Services minister, Kazembe Kazembe has said ICTs were now a basic human right for every citizen.
Commissioning the fourth Multi Operator Radio Access Network (Moran) base station in Gache Gache, Kariba on Thursday, Kazembe said ICT infrastructure, connectivity, access and use promise great development opportunities for individuals and communities.
“There is no doubt that ICT’s are now central to humanity in pretty much the same magnitude of importance as energy, clean water, health facilities, learning institutions and healthy food,” he said.
Kazembe bemoaned communities that were still uncovered and unconnected. He said there were schools, clinics hospitals and government offices which were yet to be brought under the footprint of mainstream ICT services.
The solar powered Moran base station could be used by all three network service providers for connectivity and Gache Gache is the fourth of the fifth to be commissioned in the country.
Postal and Telecommunication Regulatory Authority (Potraz) director general Gift Machengete said the telecoms regulator would endeavour to provide access to telecommunication services in general, with particular emphasis on rural and remote areas.
“Potraz, as the regulatory authority for the telecommunication sector is among other remits responsible for ensuring that every Zimbabwean living in their motherland has access to reliable, affordable and sustainable postal and telecommunication services,” Machengete said.
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“Through the Universal Services Fund Potraz, working together with the Ministry of ICT and working in partnership with public network operators, extend network coverage to areas that operators, in their respective individual capacities, would consider to be commercially unviable.”
He pleaded with Gache Gache community to ensure that the base station was not vandalised.
Kazembe donated 20 laptops, three desktop computers and three multi-purpose printers to Gache Gache primary and secondary schools.
The use of Moran also known as Radio Access Network Sharing enables multiple mobile telephone network operators to share radio access network infrastructure.
