The Zambian government launched GovLink, a private 4G network, on Wednesday, July 15, to connect public institutions across the country. The dedicated infrastructure will support the government's broader digital transformation strategy.
According to the Smart Zambia Institute, the government agency responsible for digital transformation, authorities selected the healthcare sector as the first phase of the rollout. The government plans to extend the network to schools, farming communities and other public institutions.
“It is finally the infrastructure that supports our investments in digital health and enables them to deliver the results we have always expected,” Kennedy Lishimpi, Permanent Secretary for Technical Services at the Ministry of Health, said.
He added that GovLink will provide the connectivity required to support electronic medical records, telemedicine, real-time clinical decision support and other digital health services nationwide.
The GovLink launch forms part of a multi-year strategy to strengthen connectivity across Zambia's public institutions. Since 2024, the Smart Zambia Institute has deployed Starlink kits to public facilities located in underserved areas.
In 2025, the institute also announced that it had connected all 116 local authorities to the Government Wide Area Network (GWAN). In addition, it signed a partnership with state-owned utility ZESCO to expand digital access in schools, healthcare facilities and other government institutions.
The government has accelerated the digitalization of public services to modernize public administration and improve service delivery. Reliable communications infrastructure remains essential to that effort because digital government platforms depend on secure network connectivity, continuous service availability and uninterrupted access to data.
Despite recent investments, Zambia continues to face challenges in digital government development. According to the United Nations 2024 E-Government Development Index (EGDI), Zambia ranked 130th out of 193 countries, with a score of 0.5424 out of 1. The ranking placed the country above the African average but below the global average. In the Online Services Index, Zambia scored 0.4858 out of 1.
