Zamtel has reiterated its commitment to accelerating Zambia’s attainment of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s) through improved mobile connectivity.

Speaking on the sidelines of the on-going World Mobile Congress in Barcelona, Spain, Zamtel Chief Executive Officer Sydney Mupeta said the gathering was essential for opening up collaboration opportunities between mobile network operators, global
development organizations and others in order to accelerate digital transformation.

The Zamtel team is part of the Zambian delegation in Spain led by the Transport and Communications Minister, Honourable Brian Mushimba attending the Mobile World Congress from Monday, February 26 to Thursday, 1st March 2018.

Mupeta stated that the World Mobile Congress would help synergise and scale up innovations needed to tackle global issues.

“As Zamtel, we believe our business can have the greatest impact on a number of the UN SDGs through our network, products and services as well as our Corporate Social Responsibility programmes,” he said.

Mupeta said Zamtel’s continued investment in network expansion was providing affordable services across the country to a vast proportion of the Zambian population, adding that access to innovative services including mobile money could help to deliver
empowerment and economic inclusion for all.

“At Zamtel, I am proud of the strong growth we are posting but we must continue to amplify and accelerate our collective efforts as a State Owned Enterprise in the attainment of SDGs. We have continued to invest heavily in expanding the network and improving quality of service. As at February, 60 news sites were installed as part of the US$280 million investment in the Zamtel network. All these investments mean broader coverage, improved network quality and increased network resilience,” said Mupeta.

“With the emergence of technologies such as social media, Zambians need to find ways to adapt to these new technologies and find efficient use for them so that they work for us rather than against us. Zamtel is ready to lead in this direction. Through our recently launched ‘Ubuntu’ Corporate Social Responsibility initiative, we are also supporting SDG 17 on Partnerships for the Goals as we seek to contribute positively to the community.”

Organized by the GSMA, a trade organization representing mobile network operators, the Mobile World Congress has grown from an industry event for telecom companies to a massive technology conference becoming an attractive event for individuals working
at the centre of emerging technology and global development.