Information and communication technologies developing smart economies

05 Dec, 2021 - 00:12 0 Views
Information and communication technologies developing smart economies Dr Jenfan Muswere

The Sunday News

Judith Phiri, Business Reporter
INFORMATION and Communication Technologies (ICTs) access and utilisation in Zimbabwe, has poised the country to have a more profound impact on developing smart economies.

Smart economies are as a result of an economy that is based on technological innovation, resource efficiency, sustainability and high social welfare as engines for success. It adopts innovation, new entrepreneurial initiatives, increases productivity and competitiveness with the overall goal of improving the quality of life of all citizens.

In a keynote address as the guest of honour at the official launch of the Nopemano base station and ICT laboratory in Bulilima District on Friday, the Minister of Information Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services, Dr Jenfan Muswere said the base station was a major development in the constituency.

“ICTs access and utilisation is poised to have a more profound impact on developing smart economies.

In the transport sector they talk of a road as an economy, in the ICT sector we believe that a base station is an economy.

Today we bring smart agriculture, smart learning and smart mining to Matabeleland South and in particular to the people of Bulilima,” said Dr Muswere.

He said the base station will see a population of 15 000 people being connected through enhanced ICT services, with a connectivity radius of 29km it catered for Bulilima West, Bulilima East, Tsholotsho and surrounding communities among others.

The minister said the radius would also cover more than 10 primary and secondary schools, more than 10 clinics and the newly established Moza Irrigation Scheme.

Dr Muswere said the community will also benefit from e-commerce activities through improved business engagement and connectivity at Bezha, Khame, Ndolwane, Madlamzudzi and Ntoli as well as Tokwana Clinic among other surrounding areas.

He added: “The Bulilima community will now easily access e-government services such as applications for passports, marriage certificates, national identity cards and birth certificates which will be a click away.

This ignites digital transformation as we soldier towards a digital economy by the year 2030 in line with President Mnangagwa’s vision.”

He said the smart health pillar was going to bridge rural urban divide with more than 1 500 rural health institutions being connected digitally through ICTs to referral hospitals across the country.

Dr Muswere said in line with President Mnangagwa’s directive that each and every jurisdiction should have a community information centre, one was to be set up in the constituency before the end of the first quarter next year.

Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (Potraz) director general, Dr Gift Machengete said to achieve universal access, the country required about 250 base stations and infrastructure sharing was the only way to go to achieve that in record time.

He said infrastructure sharing at the sites would certainly reduce network expansion costs on the part of operators, spreading network coverage for digital inclusivity and improving consumer choice while maintaining quality of service.

Dr Machengete added: “On our part as Potraz, we are funding the tower relocation project, which will see all co-located towers being redeployed such that each site remains with only one share tower.

With such a project complementing the NetOne Mobile Broadband project, I see communication challenges ending in most parts of the country very soon.”

NetOne chief executive officer Mr Raphael Mushaniwana said they have recently launched phase three of the National Mobile Broad Band Expansion Project (NMBB3) which will see 345 new base stations being built and installed nationwide to connect communities.

He said the drive towards a digital economy has yielded positive results for the organisation in line with the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1) and as a drive towards vision 2030.

The event also saw donation of ICT gadgets that include laptops, printers, computers and books to different primary and secondary schools, and other stakeholders such as the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) in the constituency.

Government officials, traditional leaders and representatives from players in the telecommunications sector among others also attended the event.

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