Zimbabwe's government has ordered state telecom companies to expect to share infrastructure as officials prepare to cement a legal framework that will make it mandatory for companies to share base station towers and fibre networks across the industry.

ICT Minister Super Mandiwanzira told parliamentarians yesterday that he had "summoned all parastatals" which fall under his ministry and "encouraged them to start to work together in terms of infrastructure sharing".

Parastatals include cellphone company NetOne, fixed phone operator, TelOne as well as other ICT companies such as Zarnet. The government has also now taken control of Telecel Zimbabwe after buying out VimpelCom.

Under the new infrastructure sharing directive, both TelOne and NetOne "would not be investing into structures that are already in existence".

The state power utility, ZESA also runs an internet company, Powertel and this will also fall under the state ICT resource pool for infrastructure sharing.

Mandiwanzira told the Zimbabwean parliamentarians that new regulations "are now being looked at by the legal department in the Ministry in consultation with the Attorney General" to enforce infrastructure sharing across private and public telecommunications companies in the country.

According to the government mobile companies, including private operator Econet Wireless, have all agreed to the framework.

Mandiwanzira said about 11 base stations will be constructed across the country this year, funded through the state and shared by all telecos.