ZICTA orders netwrok quick fix
By Francis Maingaila
Lusaka, Zambia24 -- (November 4, 2025) — The Zambia Information and Communications Technology Authority (ZICTA) has given Infratel and IHS Towers a strict 21-day ultimatum to present tangible and time-bound measures to ensure that all communication towers across the country are equipped with adequate redundancy and resilience mechanisms.
ZICTA Director General Eng. Collins Mbulo announced the ultimatum during a press briefing in Lusaka, warning that failure to comply would attract regulatory consequences.
“Both Infratel and IHS Towers are required to provide realistic and actionable plans within 21 days to guarantee reliable backup systems and strengthen network resilience,” Mbulo said. “We will not tolerate any form of negligence that compromises service continuity.”
He explained that the directive is part of broader measures aimed at addressing the persistent deterioration in mobile telecommunications services, including dropped calls, poor internet connectivity, and unreliable network coverage.
Mbulo said the authority has issued binding directives to all mobile network operators and infrastructure providers to expand network capacity, strengthen backup power systems, and adopt sustainable energy solutions, such as solar and hybrid technologies, to reduce downtime.
“The persistent deterioration in electronic communication services is a direct threat to Zambia’s digital transformation agenda,” Mbulo said. “It undermines productivity, frustrates innovation, and erodes public trust in systems meant to connect and empower our people. The people of Zambia are no longer pleading for improved services — they are demanding it.”
He emphasized that ZICTA would not hesitate to use its regulatory powers against any operator or service provider that fails to meet the prescribed Quality of Service (QoS) standards.
“ZICTA will act against any provider that fails to comply. The days of excuses are over. We are monitoring performance closely and will hold operators accountable,” he said.
Mbulo stressed that the ICT sector remains central to Zambia’s economic growth and digital transformation, adding that it must be reliable, inclusive, and future-ready. He said the authority’s interventions are aimed at building a resilient, consumer-focused, and innovation-driven telecommunications ecosystem.
He further noted that ZICTA will continue working with mobile operators, consumers, civil society, and development partners to ensure that reforms are implemented with urgency and integrity.
“We demand excellence, accountability, and results from the licensees,” Mbulo said. “The Zambian people deserve nothing less.”
ZICTA’s latest action follows growing public frustration over poor mobile service quality in Zambia, with users frequently reporting dropped calls, slow internet speeds, and intermittent network coverage.
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