Zambia: ZAMTEL Invest in new technology
By Nawa Mutumweno – ZAMTEL is investing $23 million to install Next Generation Network (NGN) exchanges in a bid to move away from the old analogue fixed line exchange technology.
According to information obtained from the company’s corporate communications department, the move was aimed at upgrading and modernizing fixed line infrastructure across the country.
The telecom firm has since embarked on Phase One of decommissioning all old analogue landline exchanges and replacing them with the NGN exchanges.
This migration from analogue technology to “more intelligent exchanges” would enable customers to get the benefits of additional features on their landlines such as fast and affordable broadband internet, audio conferencing in addition to missed call notification.
“Starting on the 17th of December, 2010 to the 20th of January, 2011, we will be decommissioning old analogue fixed line exchanges and replacing them with the Next Generation Network (NGN) exchanges as Phase One of the project,” said Kennedy Mambwe, ZAMTEL’s senior manager – corporate communications.
The first to be migrated to the new technology will be the Ridgeway Exchange to be followed by Chinika, Emmasdale and Lusaka Main.
