Zambia has launched the GovLink Private 4G network to provide secure, high-speed Internet connectivity for public institutions, creating a government-owned digital backbone to support Digital Transformation across healthcare, education and other public services.
Zambia has taken another step towards modernising public services with the launch of GovLink Private 4G, a government-owned connectivity network designed to provide secure, high-speed Internet access to health facilities, schools and other public institutions nationwide.
Developed by the e-Government Division (SMART Zambia Institute) in partnership with IHM Southern Africa, Tuso Business Dynamics, Quadrupleplay and the Ministry of Health, the network aims to create a shared digital backbone capable of supporting government services while helping bridge the country’s connectivity gap.
The platform was officially launched at Ndola Teaching Hospital, where health was identified as the flagship sector for the initial deployment.
Several Digital Transformation initiatives are already underway on the network. Care 2.0 is being piloted at Ndola Teaching Hospital, Arthur Davison Children’s Hospital and Kitwe Teaching Hospital, while SmartCare Pro, already deployed across more than 2,000 healthcare facilities, is being progressively migrated to GovLink.
Speaking through Government Chief Technical Officer Ms Kasali Musenge, SMART Zambia Institute National Coordinator Percy Chinyama described GovLink as a key foundation for expanding Digital Transformation across Zambia.
“Technology is a powerful catalyst for national development. GovLink provides the digital infrastructure needed to modernise service delivery by connecting health facilities, schools, farming communities and other public institutions through a government-owned network,” he said.
Chinyama said the Copperbelt Province had become a leading example of public sector Digital Transformation, with government close to achieving full connectivity across public sector sites through collaboration between government agencies and private sector technology partners.
He added that the province’s success demonstrated how public-private partnerships could accelerate the rollout of secure digital infrastructure while improving service delivery.
The Ministry of Health believes the new network will unlock greater value from years of investment in digital healthcare platforms.
Permanent Secretary for Technical Services Dr Kennedy Lishimpi said electronic health systems such as SmartCare had already transformed healthcare delivery, but inconsistent connectivity had limited their full potential.
“This is the infrastructure that finally sits beneath our digital health investments and allows them to deliver the results we have always intended,” he said.
According to Lishimpi, GovLink will provide the resilient connectivity needed to support electronic health records, telemedicine, real-time clinical decision-making and other Digital Transformation initiatives across Zambia’s healthcare system.
Ndola Teaching Hospital, Kitwe Teaching Hospital and Arthur Davison Children’s Hospital are among the first facilities connected to the network and will serve as reference sites as the rollout expands nationally.
Copperbelt Provincial Health Director Dr Charles Mwinuna said improved connectivity would reduce patient waiting times, strengthen referral systems, improve medicine and medical supply management and help clinicians deliver faster, more efficient care.
Senior Medical Superintendent at Ndola Teaching Hospital Dr Justo Banda said clinicians were already benefiting from enhanced digital services, including electronic access to patient records, radiology reports and diagnostic information, improving efficiency, accountability and the quality of patient care.
As GovLink expands beyond healthcare into education, agriculture and other government sectors, the network is expected to become the digital foundation for secure, citizen-focused public services while extending reliable Internet access to underserved communities across Zambia.
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Autor(en)/Author(s): Bill Tanner
Dieser Artikel ist neu veröffentlicht von / This article is republished from: Intelligent CIO, 17.07.2026
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