Zimbabwe’s lowly ranking – second from last – in the World Wide Web usage index is not a bad rating as the survey only rates 61 countries that have “notable” internet and ICT usage, says Nelson Chamisa, the country’s Information and Communication Technology Minister.

Seven African countries – including Cameroon, Mali and Zimbabwe – are in the bottom ten of the index measuring web usage in developed and developing countries.

Chamisa concurred with local technology analysts and experts who said Zimbabwe has made significant strides in boosting internet access among citizens; although, he says there is still room for improving this as the country is still behind other countries in Sub-Saharan Africa in the adoption and usage of e-commerce.

“The research involves only 61 countries that have notable internet and ICT usage so I would say it’s not a bad rating,” said Chamisa.

Technology analyst, Johannes Kwangwari has previously told ITWeb Africa that Zimbabwe was “not far off and the increasing usage of the web for education, e-commerce and mobile web usage through cell phones” would result in the country “ranking competitively” in the next two years.

Chamisa said developments in advancing and promoting usage of the internet and ICT should be considered as steps in the right direction to ultimately have Zimbabwe ranking competitively.

“What should be looked at is the amount of progress we have made as a country. We are now connected by undersea cables and we are about to finalise the link to South Africa.”

He said “this form of connectivity increases” the country’s broadband speed. Kwangwari said on Tuesday that once the infrastructure and network is properly set-up, it will be easy to promote usage of the internet and other ICT businesses in Zimbabwe.

“Its a step in the right direction; laying the fibre optic links, setting up the infrastructure and this is a massive investment which will see the populace increasingly taking up usage of the internet and other value adding services,” he said.

Zimbabwe is boosting usage of ICTs and the internet among its populace. There are plans to turn post offices in the country into internet cafes offering web-browsing at lower charges. This is expected to enhance accessibility to the internet for those who have no access at work, at home or at schools and colleges.

Chamisa’s ICT Ministry wants Zimbabwe to have “ubiquitous” connectivity by 2015 and the government has also set an ambitious target of turning Zimbabwe into a knowledge based economy in the next few years.

Secondary schools and some primary schools now offer ICT study packages while the government has launched an e-learning program. The mobile companies are also doing their bit by boosting their mobile broadband internet connectivity services to previously under-serviced areas.