Chapo promises 5G in the provincial capitals and tourist areas until 2027

“ A from this year until 2027 we plan to make this technology available in all provincial capitals, special economic zones and main tourist destinations in the country, expanding its coverage to other areas of high population density and strengthening broadband access in all districts and administrative posts of our country by 2030,” said the head of the Mozambican state.

The Mozambican President spoke at the opening of the 5th National Communications Conference, organized by the Mozambique Communications Regulatory Authority (INCM), which takes place today and on Tuesday in the city of Maputo, where he said that the shipment of radio spectrum for the implementation of 5G technology is a strategic step in the modernization of communications in Mozambique, when in April the three Mozambican mobile telephone operators, namely the state Tmcel, Vodacom Mozambique and Movitel ran for the auction to implement this mobile network.

“ More than technological developments, 5G represents an opportunity to accelerate digital inclusion and attract national and foreign investments, modernize services and create opportunities for citizens and the national economy,” Chapo said.

The Mozambican President said that the government has advanced with concrete actions to materialize digital transformation, including the creation of institutions and appropriate legislation, stating that these instruments and infrastructures will protect the citizen and move the country forward in this sector.

“This is the true meaning of our digital inclusion agenda, ensuring that the benefits of digital transformation reach all Mozambicans anywhere in our country and these advances would not be possible without institutions able to anticipate technological changes, modernize regulation and create conditions for investment, hence our attention, since last year, in approving legal instruments for this purpose,” the President said.

In this sense, Daniel Chapo argued that digital transformation should create spaces for equal opportunities for all citizens, regardless of their geographical location, stating that the country is advancing in the expansion of the internet to universal access by 2030 to accelerate digitisation.

“ We want a student in Mueda to have the same opportunities for access to knowledge as a student in Maputo. That a student in Mavago has the same opportunities as a student in Matola, that a farmer in Gurúè can access market information and better market their production”, said the head of the state.

The Mozambican President also said that digital communication today takes a central place in the functioning of the national economy, in the provision of public services and in the capacity of the state to respond to crises, with the government promising to monitor these changes because it is an increasingly relevant sector for nations.

At the opening of the event, Mozambique and Angola signed two memoranda of understanding to develop and promote bilateral cooperation in the field of Communications, Information and Communication Technologies and Weather, with agreements also opening space for cooperation in the space field.

Chapo also advanced that the Nacala-Lobito submarine cable project is in the design phase, linking the two countries, “a strategic infrastructure that will increase the international capacity for internet connection, reduce communication costs and position Mozambique as an important digital corridor in the SADC region”, arguing that agreements should improve the lives of the populations of both peoples.