By Jonathan Mbiriyamveka in ZHOMBE
Information Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services Minister Dr Jenfan Muswere says Zimbabwe’s internet penetration is up 61.3 percent.
Speaking at the commemorations of the International Day for Universal Access to Information held in Zhombe Monday, Dr Muswere said while the internet penetration had gone up broadband network extension remained a cause for concern.
Dr Muswere said Government was making efforts to provide access to information throughout the country.
“Zimbabwe’s Internet penetration rate has been increasing and stood at 61.3 percent according to POTRAZ Second Quarter Report of 2022,” he said.
“Broadband network extension remains an issue. Whilst the country’s broadband coverage may be high, significant portions of the population remain unconnected.
“As our Internet penetration tracks our GNI per capita with Internet penetration rate at 61.3 percent, still almost half of the country’s population remains offline.
“The barriers to Internet use for many people are therefore, not that they are not covered by a signal, but that people do not have the resources to get online, the primary barriers being the cost of devices as well as the price of data.”
Dr Muswere said affordability of devices and lack of awareness remained the main barriers to internet use in marginalised.
He said while human development was necessary in dealing with ‘digital inequity’, alternative strategies to extend affordable access to communications were urgent.
“We simply cannot carry on doing things the way we have been doing and expect the exponential changes we require.
“Today, we have launched a number of Community Information Centres (CICS) in this Province, which among other benefits, will hopefully extend that affordable access to communications.
“Technological forms of exclusion are a reality for significant segments of Zimbabwe’s population and that ‘digital exclusion’ reinforces and deepens existing ‘social exclusion’.
“Despite the hype around smartphones connecting the poor, the ‘digital divide’ between the poor and the rich remains significant.”
He said Government through the Ministry of ICT, Postal and Courier Services was seized with the ICT development of the country.
About Author
