Internet shut down in Zim now okay

from SWradioAfrica



Zimbabwe has had limited or no internet access for almost 2 weeks now, after the government parastatal responsible for the national internet gateway, ComOne, was disconnected for non-payment of fees. There has been widespread chaos, especially at the Beitbridge border post with the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) failing to clear imported vehicles because they require internet based evaluations. There are long queues of trucks waiting for clearance. Some journalists working inside the country have also been failing to file their stories to outside news agencies.

Information and Communications Technology Minister, Nelson Chamisa, says he summoned officials from the state owned TelOne to explain the collapse of the internet system, after representatives from the Internet Service Providers, ZIMRA and the Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries complained about disruption to their operations. Chamisa says the problem was caused by ‘certain hitches related to payment’ of the account and that the back up facility for the microwave link to Beitbridge also stopped working. ‘By tomorrow (Saturday) things will be better’ he told Newsreel, saying a partial payment of the account had been made.

Experts say Zimbabwe relies on two ComOne paths for data traffic flowing out of the country. On the morning of Monday the 2nd March the most important of these stopped working after being cut off for non payment....