Vice President Kembo Mohadi has hailed the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ) for deploying 14 base stations in underserved communities.
The latest development is a part of the Tower Relocation Program which is transferring base stations from highly concentrated areas to those which are deprived.
The project's scope involved identifying locations with multiple towers, dismantling at least one of these towers, relocating it and constructing a new site in underserved rural areas. POTRAZ, utilizing the Universal Service Fund, financed the tower relocations along with the procurement of solar power supply systems and generators to ensure a reliable power supply for telecommunications equipment.
Speaking at an event to officially launch the base stations, Mohadi said POTRAZ efforts will go a long way to bridge the digital divide.
"This commendable initiative targets rural and underserved areas aiming to bridge the digital divide between urban and rural communities. By embracing the principle of Leaving No One and No Place behind, POTRAZ has ensured that these towers are strategically placed in remote regions, enhancing digital inclusion.
"This advancement will empower citizens in these areas to access vital digital services, including E-Government E- Learning-Health, Smart Agriculture-Commerce and improve their overall participation in our nation's socio-economic development," he said.
He said the tower relocation project has also led to significant cost savings by repurposing materials from donor sites. This initiative has made infrastructure sharing among mobile network operators a tangible reality, fostering collaboration to deliver reliable telecommunications services to our citizens.
Mohadi challenged the regulator to continue expanding the deployment of base station towers throughout the country, especially in many regions particularly along the borders with neighbouring countries that lack adequate network coverage and require our urgent attention.
"All mobile network operators - NetOne, Econet Wireless and Telecel Zimbabwe are sharing these towers and power resources, allowing them to collectively provide telecommunication services to targeted rural communities," he added.
