The state of internet technology in Zambia (a media perspective)

Abstract

This chapter looks at internet technology in Zambia, with a media and communication bias. It begins by giving an introduction that defines and briefly discusses the importance of the internet. The chapter then gives a historical account of the birth of the internet in the country and goes on to describe the current status of the technology in Zambia. A perspective discussion on the internet and the media is thereafter given and then it concludes by making some projections based on current trends and experiences.

Full text

The state of internet technology in Zambia
(a media perspective)
Elastus Mambwe
Department of Media and Communication Studies, University of Zambia
To cite this article:
Mambwe, E. 2015. The state of internet technology in Zambia.
In Media Industry in Zambia: A Handbook. Lusaka: DMCS/Mission Press. pp. 203-220
DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.2604320 Available: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3547958
CHAPTER 13
The State of Internet Technology in Zambia (a media perspective)
Introduction
his chapter looks at Internet
technology in Zambia. It begins by
giving an introduction that defines
and briefly discusses the importance
of the internet. The chapter then gives a
historical account of the birth of the internet
in the country and goes on to describe the
current status of the technology in Zambia. A
perspective discussion on the internet and the
media is thereafter given and then it
concludes by making some projections based
on current trends and experiences.
There is no denying the fact that the Internet
is possibly one of the
most important technologies that have
significantly affected the way we
communicate. Many aspects of everyday life
have also changed, a testament to the idea
that its impact goes beyond communicative
aspects of society, but extends to commerce,
trade, governance and medicine, among
others.
The internet can simply be defined as a
worldwide system of computer networks. It
is a global network of information networks
that “provides an array of tools for people to
use for information retrieval and
communication in individual, group and
mass contexts (Heinonen, 1999: 36).
Goel (1997: 3) defines the internet as “a
collection of individual data networks
connected together in such a way that data
can be transmitted back and forth between
any one individual data network and any
other individual data network.”
For media and cultural studies, the internet
fits the description of a public sphere, a
space where people come together as a public
203
T

to discuss issues and ideas (Habermas, 1989),
as it gives users a space or forum to freely
express themselves and engage in meaningful
interaction and debate necessary for the
progression of society.
History of the Internet in Zambia
Zambia became the fifth country in Africa,
the first in the entire Sub-Saharan Africa,
aside from South Africa, to have full access
to the Internet on 22 November 1994.
According to Robinson (1996: 191), this
achievement followed three years of
development of an electronic mail network
serving non-commercial interests within the
country at the University of Zambia (UNZA).
At the time, the level of computer skills
among the population was dismally low and
training in Computer Science existed only at
a lower level.
In 1991 the Computer Centre at the
University of Zambia received a
microcomputer and modem to provide the
"host" of the first University email system
from the International Development
Research Centre (IDRC)-funded ESANET
204
project. According to Robinson (1996: 193)
the very first recorded message through this
system was sent to the Baobab, an African
interests network based in Washington, D.C.
in the United States, on 30 September 1991”
This facility, then called UNZANET, was a
Fidonet system using dial-up telephone lines
to transmit messages via dedicated host
computers. Under a special agreement with
Rhodes University in South Africa, UNZA
was provided a link to the Internet via thrice-
daily, computer-to-computer telephone calls,
an arrangement that went on from 1991 to
1994 when full access was achieved (ibid.,
194).
The original users of UNZANET were the
schools and departments of the
University but its use increased within a short
period to include NGOs, health institutions,
and aid or development agencies. According
to Robinson (ibid.), one of the reasons for the
rapid growth of UNZANET was the fact that
it was provided as a free service. At this time,
all users had to cover was the cost of
local calls into the UNZANET. Naturally,
this was bound to be short-lived. As
Robinson (ibid., 195) notes:
“…a free service-provided through the
generosity of others-could not be
sustainable. The Computer Centre of the
University, with its responsibilities to
the University administration, was not in
a position to sell and maintain a
commercial service to customers from
outside of the University, nor to pay the
salaries of the high quality staff that such
a service would require.”
With time, large volumes of messages
characterized the system and more and more
data was being demanded for by users. This
brought about the need for a larger capacity
and a faster link that was also going to be
managed in a sustainable manner.
In 1993, a proposal for funding to enable
UNZA to have direct link to the internet was
made to various international funding
organisations. At the start of 1994, the
University established a private campus-
based company called ZAMNET

Communication Systems Limited whose
purpose was to put in place the connection to
the Internet and to sell access to the services
that the internet provides. The ZAMNET
project managed to receive 80 percent
funding from the World Bank. And so
ZAMNET was fully operational from
February 1994 with the aim of distributing
Internet services to users throughout Zambia
using a variety of methods and with two main
objectives: firstly, to put in place the
hardware and technical support necessary to
provide a reliable full Internet service, and
secondly, to put in place the administrative
staff and procedures, and market the Internet
service so that it would be fully self-
sustaining after one year of operation, and
after the World Bank funding had run out
(ibid., 196 - 197).
ZAMNET continued to provide the
important and much needed service to all
sectors
of Zambian society and became successful in
achieving its objectives. By January 1996,
ZAMNET had grown to accommodate 417
interactive accounts and these accounts
generated 9,558 connections (ibid., 214).
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Internet Regulatory Regime in Zambia
Today, the ICT sector is governed within the
context of the National Information and
Communication Technology (ICT) Policy
launched in March 2007. It is the guiding
document for ICT development in Zambia.
The policy sees ICTs, such as internet
technology, as “an enabler to build an
information centered society where everyone
can create, access, utilize and share
information and knowledge leading to
greater productivity, greater competitiveness
and sustainable economic growth, a
precondition for poverty reduction” (GRZ,
2006: 1). The document also emphasizes on
the ability for ICTs to be used as an effective
tool in enhancing good governance.
The National ICT policy offers a regulatory
framework that seeks to harmonise the
contribution of ICTs to national development
through creation of an innovative market and
responsive competitive ICT sector. The
policy also seeks to guide the country’s goal
of being transformed into information and
knowledge based society. According to the
document, the ICT sector is represented by a
four-tier system that consists of
policymaking, legal and regulatory
framework, operators and consumers.
a. Policy Making: this is not only seen
as an important component in shaping
the industry, but as a foundation for
its development, and should involve
various sectors but with direction
from the Communications ministry.
b. Legal and regulatory framework:
This includes an array of institutions
such as the Ministry of Justice, the
Ministry of Communications
parliament, the sector regulator
ZICTA.
c. Operators: these include operators in
telecommunications services such as
fixed telephony or mobile cellular
providers; in information
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technology services such office
automation and networking solutions;
postal services including courier
services; and broadcasting services
where technological and market shifts
have made significant changes to the
traditional understanding of
broadcasting.
d. Consumers: these are considered to
an integral part of the sector and
include end users, dealers in
consumer electronics, consumer
associations and corporate customers,
as well.
Some of the key factors affecting the growth
of a vibrant private sector-driven ICT sector,
as noted in the policy, include: (i) industry
players considering the current investment
regime (incentives and taxes) to be
unattractive for recapitalisation and new
investments in telecommunications,
broadcasting and Information Technology
subs-sectors; (ii) lack of access to affordable
capital among Zambian entrepreneurs in the
ICT industry; especially start-up capital for
SMEs in the sector; and (iii) high import
tariffs and taxes imposed on ICT products
and services are.
Other factors include: the inadequate
supporting infrastructure development such
as roads, telecommunications, and electric
power to increase the demand for ICT
services; as well as the poor coordination of
the ICT sector resulting in the inability to
attract adequate domestic and foreign direct
investment. Furthermore, the lack of a
coordinated industry voice on business
matters affecting the sector; and limited
regulatory powers amidst convergence of
services. Information Technology is not
regulated despite forming a key component
of the ICT sector.
The National ICT policy was developed
through a consultative process that started in
2003 and was completed in 2005 by the
technical committee that was appointed by
the then Ministry of Communications and
Transport. However, the implementation of
this policy has lagged “significantly behind
market expectations” argues Habeenzu
(ibid.) due to factors that include: the lack of
institutional leadership and capacity in the
Ministry of Communications; the lack of
skilled
207
human resources to spearhead the
implementation process; and the lack of
coordination in the planning and budgeting
process and hence lack of funding to
implement programmes.
The Information and Communication
Technologies Act (2009)
The Information and Communication
Technologies (ICTs) of 2009 repealed the
Telecommunications Act (1994) and the
Radio Communications Act (1994). The Act
provides for the regulation of the Information
and Communication Technology sector as
well as provides mechanisms of facilitating
access to Information and Communication
Technologies by all Zambians. The ICT Act
created Zambia Information and
Communication Technology Authority
(ZICTA) as an Economic Regulator with
power to regulate tariffs for "dominant"
players and agreements on interconnections.

The Act further empowers ZICTA in
protecting the rights and interests of
consumers, in regulating the provision of
electronic communication services and
products, and in monitoring the performance
of the sector, including the levels of
investment and the availability, quality, cost
and standards of the electronic
communication services. ZICTA is further
tasked to promote and facilitate the provision,
in urban and rural areas, of such information
and electronic communication services that
meets all reasonable demand. Licensing to
operate electronic communications networks
or for the provision of electronic
communications services has also been
articulated in the Act and is also a mandate
for the Authority.
In all, the licensing regime in Zambia
primarily a converged one (horizontal or
unified or multi‐service). According to Lewis
and Abrahams (2013: 324), the regime
distinguishes between infrastructure and
services at the top level, but with some
vertical categorisation at a lower level.
208
Internet Technology in Zambia
Internet Use in Zambia
Generally, there is very low internet
penetration in the country but this is fast
changing as more and efforts are being
implemented by the state, and private
commercial and non-commercial
organisations. For people living in rural
areas, there still remains very limited or no
access to the internet at all largely due to the
lack of adequate telecommunication
infrastructure in rural areas needed for the
internet connection. The number of internet
subscriptions increased from 8,248 in 2001 to
92, 642 at the end of 2012, (ZICTA, 2013).
Table 13.1 shows the number of internet
subscribers from 2001 to 2012. According to
the Internet World Statistics (IWS),
penetration at the end of 2014 stood at 18
percent of the population translating to
2,711,928 users (ISW, 2015). However, a
BuddeComm Research report (2015)
estimated that by the end of 2015, the internet
penetration would be about 23 percent of the
population.
Table 13.1 - Internet Subscribers in Zambia
Year
Total
Subscribers
Per 100 Inhabitants
Growth Rate (%)
2001
8,248
0.082
2002
11,647
0.112
41
2003
12,000
0.111
3
2004
16,288
0.147
36
2005
10,882
0.095
-33
2006
11,996
0.104
10
2007
17,946
0.153
49.6
2008
18,289
0.152
1.9
2009
17,754
0.137
-2.9

2010
34,436
0.265
93.9
2011
49,867
0.38
44.81
2012
92,642
0.71
85.78
(Source: ZICTA, 2013)
The 2015 ICT Survey Report (2015), a study
on access and usage of information and
communication technology by households
and individuals in Zambia conducted by
ZICTA, the Ministry of Transport and
Communications and the Central Statistical
Office revealed that the proportion of
households that access internet services
increased from 5.8 percent recorded in 2013
to 12.7 percent in 2015 (ZICTA, 2015). The
same survey interestingly showed that
Internet usage is higher among the younger
population. For instance, over 70 percent
209
users were below the age of 35 years of age,
and just about 41.3 percent users are below
24 years, as opposed to only 7.1 percent
above the age of 50 years
(ibid.).
The internet sub-sector is understood to be
the most competitive in the
telecommunications services industry in
Zambia (Habeenzu, 2010: 16). For instance,
by the
end of 2008, there were nineteen (19)
authorised Internet Service Providers (ISPs),
however only fourteen (14) were operational
then (Table 1.2). The competition is so high
that there is no single dominant player.
By 2015, the list of ISPs changed
considerably due to competition, mergers and
regulatory decisions. Table 1.3 shows the list
of ISPs at the close of 2015. Additionally,
there were five registered Public Carrier of
Carrier companies by the same period. These
are companies that are allowed to sell
bandwidth to other entities as a commercial
business. According to ZICTA, this license
lasts for 15 years. The five are: CEC Liquid
Telecom, eastern, central and southern
Africa’s leading independent data, voice and
IP provider; ZESCO Limited, Zambia's
largest power utility company; Zamtel, the
parastatal telecommunications company; as
well as the multinational mobile
telecommunications corporations, MTN and
Airtel.
Broadband internet demand has increased
due to the continued unrolling of internet
technologies such as WiMAX, GPRS,
EDGE, 3G as well as optic-fibre networks.
Initially, only two providers were 4G
internet, namely iConnect via WiMAX (since
2012). By 2014, MTN led the way in
providing 4G on mobile LTE. Later that year,
Airtel followed.
The high cost of bandwidth is seen as the
major factor affecting the growth of the
internet in Zambia, (Habeenzu, 2010: 25).
Available data shows that the demand for
broadband internet has increased over the
years. However, despite increased demand,
the majority of Zambians are still unable to
make individual subscriptions. This is still
due to the high cost that is caused by the high
cost of infrastructure (ibid.).
Mobile Internet
The use of mobile internet has grown
significantly over the past decade as mobile

telephony as increased. Mobile internet in
Zambia is provided by the mobile cellular
service providers. The regulator, ZICTA, has
three licensed providers, these are: Zamtel
Mobile, previously called Cell Z, the mobile
wing of the parastatal, Zamtel, the oldest
player in the telephony sector; MTN Zambia,
and Airtel Zambia, multinational
corporations owned respectively by the MTN
210
Group of South Africa and Bharti Airtel
Corporation of India. According to ZICTA
(2013), the number of mobile subscribers had
increased from 49, 957 and a nationwide
penetration of 0.505 percent in the year 2000,
to 10,542,676 and a penetration of close to 80
percent at the end of 2012. The mobile sector
is dominated by Airtel and MTN,
Table 13.2 – Internet Service Providers and Market Share
Internet Service Provider
Subscription
Market Share
1. iConnect
4352
20.8%
2. Coppernet Solutions
566
0.027%
3. MTN Business
201
0.0096%
4. Postlink
73
0.0034%
5. Pronet Africa
265
0.012%
6. Quick Edge
138
0.0066
7. Real Time
230
0.011%
8. Microlink
58
0.0027
9. Zamnet
2134
10.2%
10. Zamtel
12693
60.8%
11. Preworx*
80
0.0038
12. Aplus*
11
-
13. Internet Technologies*
14
-
14. BringCom
60
0.0028%
TOTAL
20,875
100
* Denotes an Internet service Provider (ISP) that became operational in 2011
(Source: ZICTA, 2012)
who share various dominant positions in
different aspects of the mobile sector and
have competed consistently for market share.
Zamtel Limited adds to this competition as
the third player in the mobile sector. At the
end of 2011, the mobile sector was
dominated by Airtel with 45 percent of the
market share, and MTN with 39 percent, and
Zamtel with 16 percent. However, by the
close of 2015, MTN had 48 percent, while
Airtel percent, and Zamtel had 15percent. It
was expected by some analysts that Airtel
would recoup the top slot by the end of 2015,
but official figures had not been released by
the time of publication.
The 2015 ICT Survey Report revealed that
the most preferred networks among those
individuals that have subscribed to more than
one network were MTN and Airtel. These
were represented by 47 percent and 44
percent respectively. Factors such as friends

and family being on the same network,
quality of services and cost determined the
choice of the network (ZICTA, 2015).
According to the FinScope Top Line
Findings of 2009, overall access to
communication facilities in Zambia is high,
with more than 70% of the total adult
population having access to a cell phone,
landline or public phone in 2010 (FinScope,
2010). The 2015 ICT Survey, in this regard,
reported that around 64.5 percent of the
households in Zambia have access to a
mobile phone and that about 51 percent of
people aged above 10 years in Zambia are
active users of mobile phones.
As mobile telephony has evolved, mobile
data platforms have also become more
advanced. All mobile service providers are
currently able to provide GPRS, EDGE and
3G data services across their networks. Airtel
Zambia had until 2014 been the only provider
that had an advanced version of third
generation mobile internet network (3G)
communication called HSPA+ or commonly
referred to as 3.75G. In January 2014, MTN
Zambia became the first network to provide
4G internet when the company launched 4G
on Long Term Evolution (LTE). Airtel
implemented its 4G networks by the end of
the same year.
Mobile Internet has increased as a result of
factors such as: (a) relative ease of access and
connection; (b) the increased availability
211
of internet enable handsets on the market; (c)
relative affordability, with the multiplicity of
data packages available for every type of
user; and (d) the mobility factor which has
enabled users access internet services almost
anywhere, or at least in places where fixed
providers are currently not able to.
The 2015 ICT Survey also noted that the
majority (71 percent) of Zambian households
with access to internet services, do so using
mobile broadband services, particularly by
way of a mobile phone. According to the
survey, only two percent of households
access the internet through fixed wireless
broadband services (ZICTA, 2015).
While acknowledging these factors, mobile
internet is however often criticized for being
too congested at it uses the same
infrastructure meant for voice
communication, which is the primary
business for the providers.
Optic Fibre Internet
The use of optic fibre connections has greatly
improved the quality of internet in Zambia.
Previously, all internet service providers used
satellite technologies as the only way to
connect to the internet. However, this
technology has two main challenges: latency
and cost of delivery. As a result, Zambian
providers have sought ways to join the fibre
race in order to access better connection.
Optic fibre promises improved internet
access speeds, as well as superior uplink and
downlink capabilities. Additionally, this
technology has proved to have lower levels
of decay or latency in comparison to satellite
and as a result of the better speeds, users can
enjoy better services such as Virtual Private
Networks (VPNs), the ability to conduct
video conferencing and e-learning
efficiently, and easy multimedia file or
content uploads, streams and downloads.

An example of the fibre roll-out is when in
2009, ZAMNET announced that it had
successfully set up an Internet gateway into
Europe using end-to-end optic fibre,
becoming the first such connection in
Zambia. The connection was set up as a joint
venture with ZESCO, Zambia’s Electricity
supply company, and Telecom Namibia, with
which ZESCO has a cross boarder optics
fibre interconnection at Katimamulilo. This
link connects through to the South Atlantic
3/West Africa Submarine Cable (SAT-3)
undersea cable that runs on the west coast of
Africa into Europe, (Zamnet, 2009).
Some of the other international access points
include the links of both Zamtel and Liquid
212
Telecom, via their point of interconnections
with Telecom Namibia at Shesheke, and
Southern Africa terrestrial fibre network
respectively, to the West Africa Cable
System (WACS ‐ with a design capacity of
5,12 Tbit/s); as well as to the South Atlantic
3 / West Africa Submarine Cable (SAT‐3,
with a capacity of 340 Gbit/s). Another
important link is that of Liquid Telecom and
ISP MicroLink to the Eastern Africa
Submarine Cable System (EASSy) with a
capacity of 2,72 Tbit/s, Lewis and Abrahams
(2013: 327)
Internet.org
In July, 2014, Zambia, through Airtel
Zambia, became the first country to launch
the Internet.org application. Internet.org is an
initiative by social networking giant
Facebook meant to bring affordable internet
access to everyone in the world. With the
Internet.org application, subscribers with
Airtel sim cards do not have to pay any data
charges for accessing a select number of
websites or applications. Through the
application, various important internet
services are available to all Zambians for free
(through the Airtel network). It is hoped that
in doing so, awareness on the usefulness of
the Internet will be increased.
By using the Internet.org website or by
downloading either the Internet.org app or
the Facebook for Android app on an Airtel
enabled sim card, users are able to access the
free facilities. The free sites are: Facebook,
Facebook Messenger, Google Search,
Wikipedia and Unicef’s Facts for Life.
Others are weather service AccuWeather,
eZeLibrary for government information, job
search applications Kokoliko and Go Zambia
Jobs, as well as MAMA, a maternal health
app and WRAPP, the Women’s Rights App.
Airtel itself completes the list.
The project has been controversial world
over. Much of the concern centres around the
theme of net neutrality. Net Neutrality is the
principle that the internet must be kept open
and accessible equally. The term was
developed by Tim Wu, who argues that a
public information network is most useful if
all its content, sites, and platforms are treated
equally (Wu, 2008). The understanding is
that for example, Internet service providers
must not restrict or block against any content
that goes over their network but must instead
provide internet users with an open network.
Net Neutrality advocates call for an open
internet.
Opponents to Facebook’s Internet.org have
criticized project for going against the
principles of net Neutrality. This criticism

stems from the fact that in countries where
the network carrier has a select number of
sites being free, the internet, to the many
people that can’t afford to pay for access to
the rest of the web content, will be perceived
as only being those few sites. In the case of
Zambia, Airtel’s list of applications goes
against the idea of an open internet because
other sites that people may find equally
beneficial or may provide alternative
information are not treated equally. Other
critics say having limited access to the
internet may be likened to infringing on
freedom of the press as some content is
subject to charges, which in some cases may
be too high. Further criticism arises from
arguments on who or what criteria
determines what application or websites
make the list.
Proponents on the other hand have hailed the
project as an avenue of introducing new users
to the internet, including the previously
unserved and the many that can’t cannot
afford to pay for regular access. This is seen
therefore as a way of helping achieve
universal access.
Internet and the Media in Zambia
This use of the internet by journalists in their
work is seen to have numerous potential
benefits relating to news gathering,
production and dissemination. Flew (2002:
99) sums up the benefits of digital
technologies into three important points: a
reduction of costs of storing and distributing
information; the development of an online
presence enabling cross promotion between
the organization’s various outlets such as
print and television and lastly; the shift from
mass distribution models to systems that are
tailored to meet desires and needs of
individual customers.
Furthermore, research has shown that the
internet in journalism has brought about a
number of patterns. Firstly, the internet is
seen as a publishing medium. This
emphasises the fact that it has changed the
communication business and has raised
questions about the role and future of the
media house as we have known it (Heinonen,
1999: 41). Secondly, the internet empowers
journalists in their work, such that it has
given the journalist new tools and improved
means of news gathering. Thirdly, the
internet has raised the need to understand its
effect on the journalists’ professional role.
This includes looking at journalistic skills,
and the relationship between journalists and
the audience, as well as journalistic ethics
(ibid.). It is, therefore, not a surprise that the
media in Zambia have embraced the use of
the internet.
In a study to investigate the level of use,
scope and impact of the internet on
journalism in Zambia and to help gain a
knowledge base on the available internet
facilities for journalists, Mambwe (2013)
concluded that the internet has had a positive
impact on the practice of journalism and that
it has influenced journalists to engage more
with news consumers.
213
However, it was also discovered that further
positive impact has been inhibited by factors
such as the lack of access to internet facilities;
the cost of accessing the internet and other
communication technologies, and the lack of
training on how to use new communication
technologies

The spread of social media and other
online media in Zambia
The development of the internet in Zambia
has seen a rise in media presence on line. A
number of on-line publication have emerged.
However, most of them are hosted in other
countries and are in essence merely news
blogs rather than full websites. All of them
have the characteristic feature that enables
readers to comment and debate the various
stories, as well as share them. The on-line
newspapers include: Lusaka Times, The
Zambian Watchdog, Zambia Reports, The
Lusaka Star, Lusaka Voice, Kitwe Times, The
Zambian Eye and The Zambian, among
others.
Traditional news media now also have an
active online presence with their own
websites. Radio stations such as Q-FM and
Radio Phoenix have gone a step further by
enabling people to listen to their broadcast
online. Apart from websites, the media in
Zambia have embraced the emergence of
Social Media platforms to reach out to their
audiences. Social media is used as an
umbrella term for all sites on the internet that
integrate technology, social interaction and
user generated content. According to
Mayfield (2008: 5), social media is best
understood as a group of new kinds of online
media, which share most or all five
characteristics, which are: participation,
openness, conversation; community; and
connectedness.
Examples of social media include social
networking websites such as Facebook,
micro-blogging tools, as well as content
communities such as YouTube. For an
example of the popularity of social media,
take Facebook, whose usage in Zambia
continues to increase, even though
214
the number of users is still small. The Internet
World Statistics (2015) estimates the number
of subscribers to be about 1.3 million, which
is about 8.6 percent of the population. Media
houses have taken advantage of the Facebook
phenomenon to reach out to their audiences
and to provide a platform for news,
information and interaction. Willems (2012)
concluded that websites are more and more
being replaced with Facebook profiles or fan
pages which are undoubtedly more
manageable and cheaper alternatives to
costly, high-maintenance websites.
Aside social networks, the blogging
community in Zambia has continued to grow.
Bukowa (2012) argues that the use of blogs
and online newspapers is building
momentum in Zambia. Many Zambians have
established blogs and/or are keen followers
of these media channels from their phones,
offices, schools or Internet cafes.
There is however a steady growth of Internet
media in Zambia as Brenda Zulu in
interviews with the Global Voices (2012)
explains:
“The Zambian blogosphere is
growing. Two years ago one would
struggle to find a regularly updated
blog covering any meaningful issues. I
am happy to report that is now
changing. New blogs are being created
at pace faster than I can count. And the
good news is that what were personal
entries are now being transformed into
meaningful blogs that seek to
encourage dialogue and trading of
ideas”

Despite the fact that the internet is less likely
to face censorship and control as mainstream
media are, the online media fraternity in
Zambia have experienced some form of
restrictions. For example, some Zambian
blogs such as the Zambian Watchdog and
Zambia Reports have been threatened with
closures and arrests, and as is the case of the
Watchdog, have even been blocked by state
functionaries. Additionally, it is possible that
by way of market pressure, one can argue that
such blogs may not gain the much needed
revenue from advertisers who would not
want to be on the bad side of the state and
may decide to avoid advertising on these
sites. The major reason given by the state is
its concern over what has been termed as the
lack of journalistic
215
ethics on most of the online platforms.
Similar threats were extended for most parts
of 2013 to ban social networking site
Facebook in Zambia by the government of
President Michael Sata. However, there was
a change in course when on 17th January,
2014, the president and a few of the
prominent figures in his government opened
Facebook pages. The president indicated in
his first post that the page was to be a
platform to “network and connect” with the
people. This gave testament to the popularity
and the resilience of social media in the
country.
As has been indicated, mobile phone usage in
Zambia has grown at a very fast pace. Access
to mobile technologies has spread faster than
any other form and most of these services are
available to users at relatively affordable
rates. Internet-enabled mobile phones have
become more widespread in Zambia after
216
mobile phone providers introduced
BlackBerry and smartphone packages in
2008. Theses often include free internet
access to certain websites (including
Facebook, Twitter and MySpace) and/or
monthly data bundles (Willems, 2012). By
using mobile internet, news and information
can reach where newspapers and television
are unable.
The Future of internet technology
The story of the internet in Zambia is now
just over 20 years old. In these two decades,
tremendous progress in ensuring that every
citizen has access to it has been made. This
success has however taken place at a slow
pace considering that Zambia was one of
the first countries on the continent to have
connection to the internet. Some of the
challenges highlighted in this chapter such
as the cost of connection and investment,
and the lack of infrastructure
needed to support expansion, have largely
contributed to the slow pace on
implementation.
Digital technologies such as the internet are
a part of everyday society today. They are
inevitable and must be seen as a necessity,
especially for the news media. It is
envisaged that these benefits of the internet
for the media will be appreciated once
concerted efforts are in place to have
connection available in all media houses.

Going forward, the following matters
remain crucial to the development of the
internet in Zambia and need urgent
attention:
a. Ensuring child online protection
b. Improving cyber security
c. Guaranteeing Universal Access for
all
d. Reducing the cost of access and
investment in the sector
e. Harmonizing policy and legislation
to match international standards
Additionally, it remains to be seen how the
state and media fraternity will tackle the
ethical concerns that have emerged as a
result of the available online platforms, as
well as what the new wave of social media
engagement by the state will bring about.
The Regulator, ZICTA, has been making
headways in tackling some these issues. For
example, in 2014, ZICTA helped the
Zambia Police Service in establishing the
first ever cybercrime fighting lab at the
police headquarters in Lusaka. This project
came with training and support for the
police in an effort to strengthen their
capacity to fight cybercrimes. ZICTA has
also been setting up Multi-purpose
Community Telecentres (MCTs) in various
rural posts in Zambia to ease the lack of
basic ICT services in those parts of the
country and achieve universal access. These
MCTs will enable people in the rural areas
to access basic ICTs and
telecommunications service and will
217
provide training opportunities for the local
people. Additionally, Points of Presence
(PoPs) for internet connectivity in un-
served and underserved parts of Zambia are
also being installed. Both initiatives are part
of the ZICTA’s Universal Access
Programme (UAP).
The Authority has also been implementing
the “Connecting Learning Institutions”
project which promotes access to ICTs for
Zambian learning institutions. This project
has been useful in complementing the
Zambian government’s objective of
introducing ICTs at all levels of the
Zambian Educational system. A few
primary, secondary and tertiary institutions
have benefited already. The project also
included providing optic fibre connection to
the country’s public universities under the
Zambia Research and Education Network
(ZAMREN).
Despite the pressing issues listed, the future
of the internet in Zambia is bright
considering some of the changes that are
being implemented, such as the continued
implementation of the ICT policy, the
continued enforcement of existing ICT
related legislation, and the introduction of
new policies to deal with emerging
challenges in the sector. With these in place
and the involvement of relevant
stakeholders, Zambia is poised to make
faster progress in the coming decade and
position itself into an information and
knowledge-based society.
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Interviews
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(retrieved on 13th December 2013)