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Zim Army Starts Own Phone Network | ARE YOU BUYING THEIR SERVICE?
14 January 2022
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Zimbabwe Military army: file copy

The Zimbabwe National Army has started its own ground phone network.

While the state media said this is a partnership with government owned paratatal, TelOne, the development signals a total militarisation of the state entity.

According to academic, Enock Ndawana, “the prioritisation of military solutions to every security problem works to safeguard the governing elite but worsens instead of addressing the citizens’ problems with far-reaching implications for human and state security: For human security to be realised, Zimbabwe needs to discontinue militarised governance and capacitate responsible government ministries and departments.

On full implementation, the land-based network will enable the nation to experience lower network costs, increased accessibility, complete portability, higher scalability, clearer voice quality, multi-tasking and flexibility with softphones.

The partnership will implement a dedicated internet system, IP/PBX with gateways, advanced IP handsets, ordinary handsets, digital switchboards and Wi-Fi access points to provide ubiquitous internet service to all the official sites.

The network modernisation is targeted to modify 58 network sites countrywide before year end. Speaking during the commissioning of six complete network sites at the Zimbabwe Military Academy in Gweru last week, TelOne acting managing director, Mr Joseph Machiva, said the project will enable Government and its departments to fully use the capabilities that come with this installed modern network.

“We are excited that these service offerings, pave way for futuristic services such as video conferencing as previously demonstrated. These add on services are very key as they allow Government and its departments to fully utilise the capabilities that come with this installed modern network,” he said. “Once this modern network is installed all the sites that are being commissioned today and any future sites, can be linked together to allow extension-to-extension calling regardless of location throughout the network.”

ZNA commandant, Colonel Arnold Gumbo, who was representing commander ZNA Lieutenant-General David Sigauke, said communication plays a pivotal role in everyday life and its importance cannot be over-emphasised. “I would like to thank all of you present here today for your positive contributions towards the successful implementation of these completed projects,” he said. Col Gumbo said as the digital world continue to gain recognition, any organisation that ignores digital communication risks failure. “Communication run our lives in these modern times without which an organisation will not function, thus we thrive to keep abreast with emerging technologies to march in step with the ever-changing ICT world.” – state media/additional reporting.