• Zambia launches a three-pillar strategy focused on energy security, national infrastructure sharing and faster rollout of telecom towers.

• The government seeks $280 million to deploy backup and alternative-energy systems, including hybrid power solutions tested on 20 towers.

• Zambia plans 998 new towers based on a 2022 analysis and an additional 300 towers under the World Bank-funded Digital Zambia Acceleration Project.

The Zambian government unveiled last week a three-pillar strategy focused on energy security, national infrastructure sharing and accelerated deployment of telecom towers. The authorities aim to strengthen the availability of the national telecommunications network and extend its coverage across the country.

Felix Mutati, Minister of Technology and Science, presented these measures in response to concerns raised by a three-week network outage in the Lumezi constituency. He explained that energy shortages following the 2023/2024 severe drought, in a country heavily dependent on hydropower, caused the incident.

The minister said the government seeks about $280 million to implement national backup systems and alternative-energy solutions. The plan includes a pilot project for hybrid systems that combine fossil fuels, renewable energy and backup batteries. The private sector is currently testing the hybrid model on 20 towers for potential nationwide deployment.

A pilot project for national roaming is also underway. It will allow subscribers to use another operator’s network in areas where their provider lacks coverage. Authorities plan to scale the system nationwide after validation.

In parallel, the government accelerates its tower-construction program. A 2022 analysis identified a need for 998 additional towers to ensure equitable national coverage. The 2026 national budget includes a dedicated budget line for communication towers, ending reliance on the Universal Access and Service Fund (UASF), which previously financed about 30 towers per year. The country will also add 300 new towers under the World Bank-funded Digital Zambia Acceleration Project (DZAP).

Zambia plans to use agricultural digitalization to reach its production targets of 10 million tonnes of maize, 1 million tonnes of wheat and 1 million tonnes of soybeans annually by 2031. According to the GSMA, digital technologies support precision agriculture, targeted information access and improved market connectivity.

GSMA data shows that continued digitalization could add about 28.64 billion kwachas ($1.24 billion) to Zambia’s economy, notably through manufacturing, transport, trade, public administration and agriculture. However, as of early 2025, Zambia had only 7.13 million Internet users, representing a penetration rate of 33%, underscoring the importance of current efforts to improve connectivity.

This article was initially published in French by Isaac K. Kassouwi

Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum