Zambia accelerates tower rollout

By Arnold Mulenga, Zambia Contributor
Johannesburg, 15 Sept 2025
IHS Zambia is building 152 towers for Airtel nationally, with 40 already operational since construction began earlier this year.
IHS Zambia is building 152 towers for Airtel nationally, with 40 already operational since construction began earlier this year.

Airtel Zambia plans to commission more than 150 towers by the end of November.

This comes as government agencies, mobile operators, and infrastructure companies accelerate the deployment of towers to improve connectivity and bridge the digital divide.

IHS Zambia is building 152 towers for Airtel nationally, with 40 already operational since construction began earlier this year.

Another 12 towers are scheduled to be commissioned by the end of September, with the remainder to be completed by the end of November.

Some 38 of the towers are located in Lusaka Province, which includes the capital city.

Felix Mutati, minister of technology and science, provided an update this weekend following the activation of two towers in Lusaka.

"These towers are a central component of the larger national initiative to improve digital access and service quality through strategic public-private partnerships," Mutati said.

"By combining the strengths of the public and private sectors, Zambia is rapidly accelerating the development of a robust digital economy."

In addition to the IHS and Airtel Zambia tower rollout, Zambia Information and Communications Technology Regulatory Authority (ZICTA) is also commissioning towers in remote areas around Zambia.

Collins Chomba, ZICTA's director of universal access and services, revealed that 43 towers have been built, with eight set for commissioning by the end of September.

A total of 80 towers will be added in the fourth quarter of the year, which begins in October.

The new towers include a smart system that includes batteries, generators, and solar panels to assure continuous operation.

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