Why Zambia’s Public Wi‑Fi Expansion Matters for Digital Inclusion

My name is Jeffrey Mdala, and I am an AI Engineer, founder of Zambian Online Education Company (ZOEC), and builder of eskulu, an AI-powered learning platform designed around the Zambian ECZ curriculum. Because I work at the intersection of education, software, and access, I pay close attention to anything that improves connectivity in Zambia. One development that genuinely excites me is Zambia’s growing investment in public Wi‑Fi infrastructure.

Over the past year, Zambia has been expanding public internet access points, including rollout activity at places like Intercity Bus Station. More recently, a new memorandum of understanding was signed with a digital services and internet infrastructure partner to strengthen that effort. The direction is clear: bring internet access closer to ordinary people in the places they already use every day.

For many people, that may sound like a small infrastructure update. I do not think it is small at all. I believe it is one of the most practical ways to widen digital opportunity in Zambia.

Public Wi‑Fi is More Than Convenience

When people hear about public Wi‑Fi, they often think first about convenience: checking messages, browsing social media, or downloading a file while waiting in a public place. That is part of the story, but in Zambia and across Africa, the real impact goes much deeper.

Internet access is increasingly tied to education, business, job opportunities, digital payments, government services, and innovation. If connectivity is only available to people who can consistently afford mobile data or premium home internet, then the digital economy automatically excludes a large part of the population.

That is why I see public Wi‑Fi as part of a bigger national conversation about digital inclusion. If access points are placed in strategic public spaces such as transport hubs, airports, malls, civic centers, and other high-traffic areas, then internet access becomes more democratic. It reaches students, job seekers, traders, entrepreneurs, and everyday citizens where they are.

Why This Matters to Me Personally

I did not enter technology from a place of privilege or distance from real Zambian problems. I started coding in Grade 12, and over time I built platforms that respond to practical needs. One of those platforms is Zedpastpapers, which now serves more than 200,000 users every month. During COVID-19, I built eskulu to help students access learning resources more easily, and that journey later helped me reach the top 5 of the ZICTA Innovation Programme.

What I learned from building education technology in Zambia is simple: access changes everything. Even the best platform is limited if the people who need it most cannot get online reliably or affordably. That is why public connectivity matters so much. It does not replace private telecom services, but it can fill important gaps and create new entry points into the digital world.

As someone who has spent years building digital tools for Zambian learners, I immediately think about what public Wi‑Fi can unlock for students. A learner waiting at a station, sitting in a public facility, or passing through a connected space could potentially download notes, revise past papers, access marking schemes, or use an AI tutor. That is not a theoretical idea to me. That is exactly the kind of use case I think about when building products like eskulu.

What Zambia’s Expansion Signals

The encouraging part is that this is not just a one-location experiment. The expansion suggests a broader commitment to strengthening the public Wi‑Fi programme through partnerships with digital infrastructure providers. If the reported usage figures are already in the range of 200,000 users within the past year, that signals real demand.

To me, that demand tells us three important things:

• Zambians want access, and they will use it when it is available.
• Public digital infrastructure has practical value, especially in busy shared spaces.
• The country is moving in the right direction by treating connectivity as an enabler of development rather than a luxury.

Across Africa, countries that invest early in digital infrastructure create stronger foundations for innovation. Startups, online education platforms, digital financial services, and AI-powered tools all benefit when more people can connect consistently. In that sense, public Wi‑Fi is not just about internet. It is about creating the conditions for a more inclusive digital economy.

The Education Opportunity is Huge

Because my work is rooted in EdTech, I naturally see this through the lens of learning. Zambia has a young population, and that means our digital strategy must always consider students. When internet access expands, educational opportunity expands with it.

At eskulu, my long-term vision is to help build a future where AI tutors can support learners in every Zambian classroom. That vision depends not only on good software, but also on widespread access to the internet. A student cannot benefit from digital learning tools they cannot reach.

If public Wi‑Fi becomes more common in public places, it can support:

• Access to free learning materials for Grades 6–12
• Revision through past papers and marking schemes
• Use of AI-powered study tools
• Research and digital literacy for students and teachers
• Lower barriers for low-income families trying to support learning online

These are not abstract benefits. They matter in a country where many students are capable, ambitious, and hardworking, but still face structural barriers around access, affordability, and exposure.

Infrastructure Alone Is Not Enough

At the same time, I think it is important to be realistic. Expanding public Wi‑Fi is a strong step, but infrastructure alone is not enough. For this programme to have long-term impact, Zambia will also need to think about:

• Reliability — people must trust that the service will work consistently.
• Coverage quality — access points should be placed where they solve real public needs.
• Security and user safety — public networks must be managed responsibly.
• Awareness — many citizens may not even know these access points exist.
• Useful digital services — access becomes more meaningful when paired with education, commerce, and public service platforms.

This is where local builders, startups, and technology companies have a role to play. Connectivity has the biggest effect when it is matched with products that solve local problems. In my own work through ZOEC and also through MAY and Company, I think a lot about how African technology should be practical, relevant, and rooted in the realities of our communities.

Why I Am Optimistic About Zambia’s Digital Future

I have had the privilege of seeing different parts of Zambia through work, including my time with Paycode Africa, where I traveled across nearly all provinces. I have also been fortunate to build and present solutions in spaces where innovation is taken seriously, including winning Business With a Purpose at the X Pitchathon by Access Bank and MTN in 2023. Those experiences have reinforced my belief that Zambia has the talent, the need, and the momentum to build meaningful technology.

That is why developments like public Wi‑Fi expansion matter to me. They may seem simple on the surface, but they support the deeper ecosystem that innovators need. More access means more users can discover digital tools. More users mean more opportunities for startups to solve real problems. And more problem-solving is exactly what Zambia and Africa need from technology.

I am especially encouraged when I see digital progress happening through partnerships. No single founder, company, ISP, or government institution can build the future alone. Real transformation usually happens when infrastructure, policy, entrepreneurship, and public need begin to align.

My Final Thoughts

I am glad to see Zambia expanding its public Wi‑Fi programme, and I hope this momentum continues. If more access points are rolled out in public spaces and maintained well, this could become one of the most practical digital inclusion efforts in the country.

For me, this is ultimately about opportunity. It is about the student who needs educational content, the entrepreneur trying to grow a business online, the young developer learning new skills, and the ordinary citizen who should not be locked out of the digital world because of cost or location.

Zambia’s digital future will not be built by software alone. It will also be built by connectivity, access, and infrastructure that reaches real people. Public Wi‑Fi is one piece of that future, and I believe it is a meaningful one.

If you care about the future of education technology in Zambia, you can explore eskulu and see how I am working to make learning more accessible for Grades 6–12. And if you are looking for support in AI development, EdTech systems, web platforms, or generative AI integration, feel free to reach out to me at jeffmdala@gmail.com.