/ 7 October 2010

Zambia drops Internet threat

Zambia’s communications authority on Wednesday reversed its decision to shut down five main Internet service providers, saying they would be allowed another chance to renew their licences.

The Zambia Information and Communication Technology Authority has “withdrawn its earlier statement indicating that five Internet service providers should cease operations effective October 8,” spokesman Lotty Kakubo said.

The firms were ordered on Tuesday to shut down by the end of the week, after regulators said they had not renewed their operating licences.

But the order raised fears that Zambia could be cut off from the Internet, and Kakubo said the regulators would now allow the firms five days to renew their licences.

The affected companies are Realtime Zambia, Coppernet Solutions Limited, Microlink Technologies Limited, Pronet Zambia Limited and Zamnet Communications Systems Limited.

The companies are Zambia’s main Internet providers. Their closure would have left only three firms providing Internet access is the southern African country.– Sapa-AFP