With data costs being reviewed periodically in Zimbabwe, tertiary school students would have been in a quandary had Liquid Telecom Zimbabwe not come through with an amazing initiative that allows them to access the internet for free.
Last year, Liquid Telecom launched the Edu-Zones free Wi-Fi initiative to help students bridge the digital divide with free Wi-Fi delivered across the company’s high-speed fibre network.
This was part of a long-term corporate social responsibility initiative by the company. The project was set in motion by President Emmerson Mnangagwa and Professor Dr Amon Murwira, Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development.
Today, Edu-Zones empower and equip learning institutions with free internet in the form of Wi-Fi zones – typically in cafeterias, halls of residence and sports fields where students congregate. Since its launch 18 months ago, thousands of tertiary level students are enjoying free internet access through zones located at 48 higher and tertiary learning institutions across Zimbabwe.
“We believe every individual on the African continent has the right to be connected. This is the vision that has been driving Liquid Telecom’s network expansion across Africa over the last ten years and, in Zimbabwe, why we launched Edu-Zones,” said Regional chief executive officer of Liquid Telecom’s Southern Africa Region, Wellington Makamure.
“This has resulted in vastly improved exam pass rates and career opportunities across the student population. Edu-Zones is a long-term initiative which is already helping the connected universities and polytechnic’s to save money on internet data costs,” he added.
Edu-Zones are unprecedented in terms of the number and geographical spread of institutions connected to free Wi-Fi.
Liquid Telecom is a leading communications solutions provider across 13 countries primarily in Eastern, Southern and South Africa that serves mobile operators, carriers, enterprise, media and content companies and retail customers with high-speed, reliable connectivity, hosting and co-location and digital services.
