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Government connects 400 schools to the internet

by Staff reporter
03 Aug 2022 at 06:43hrs | Views
GOVERNMENT has connected 400 schools to the internet in all the country's 10 provinces as part of an ongoing programme to accelerate the implementation of the national e-learning strategy.

The programme also falls within the second 100-day cycle of 2022 which commenced on May 23 and is set to end on August 30.

Over 3 000 rural schools have been earmarked for free Internet connection through the programme being financed by the Universal Service Fund (USF).

While the programme initially targeted schools with electricity, Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (Potraz) has engaged the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) to facilitate connection of all schools to the national grid.

In her post-Cabinet media briefing yesterday, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister, Monica Mutsvangwa said 50 ICT school labs have been established to date in all provinces.

She said the establishment of 10 public Finance Management Systems Kiosks in all the provinces was now complete.

Under Smart Health connectivity, Minister Mutsvangwa said 140 Health institutions have been connected in all the provinces.

"Cabinet received reports on progress made in the implementation of priority projects for the 2nd 100-Day Cycle of 2022, as presented by the Ministers of Industry and Commerce; Environment, Climate, Tourism and Hospitality Industry; Foreign Affairs and International Trade; Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development; and Information Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services. 50 ICT School-Labs have been established to date in all provinces, establishment of 10 Public Finance Management Systems Kiosks in all the provinces is now complete.

Under Smart Health connectivity, 140 health institutions have been connected in all the provinces, 400 schools from all the provinces were connected to the internet," said Minister Mutsvangwa.

She said under fibre to the home project, Prospect Park (Harare), Hillside (Bulawayo); and Izaya Park (Zvishavane) were 60 percent complete. The project is targeting 7 000 households.

Minister Mutsvangwa said the Netone Billing System was now complete as well as the Broadband Network Expansion project.

"On deployment of 5G base stations, in Harare, Bulawayo, Victoria Falls, Gweru and Chitungwiza, Cabinet reports that 22 5G sites were deployed, 19 sites are now solar powered and 57 sites were deployed to support tele-working as well as the SME Sector.

Expansion of Long Term Evolution (LTE) network at 60 base stations was completed and was officially launched and establishment of Data Centres in Bulawayo province were completed and officially launched," said Minister Mutsvangwa.

A total of 165 top priority and transformative projects were targeted under the second 100-day cycle with the infrastructure and utilities clusters constituting the highest number of projects which contribute to the realization of the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1) a policy blue-print spanning 2021 and 2025.

Source - The Chronicle
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