The dialup uucp link from the Computer Centre at the University of Zimbabwe has been operational for since September 1991. This is currently an email-only link to the South African UNINET and thence to the INTERNET. There are presently about 450 individual users registered on zimbix, and over 80 hosts operating through zimbix. Most of these sites use SNUUPM, a packaged using UUPC on a DOS machine. Apart from University users there are numerous commercial users, representatives of various religious organisations, NGOs and individuals.
The University of Science and Technology in Bulawayo is planning a node off zimbix and Africa University in the east of the country has also expressed interest.
There are about 80 external users of zimbix - including some commercial organisations in Harare, several NGOs and several religious organisations.
Outside the University there is a flurry of commercial activity. One company, Stellar Systems has a leased line in place and is offering commercial email as a preliminary to a full Internet service. (email to dimitri@stellar.zw).
A second is Data Control and Systems, a Zimbabwe branch of tha South African Internet Africa organisation, who have a 9.6 k line to Harare and plan to open other nodes in Zimbabwe as well as in neighbouring states. (email to clint@harare.iafrica.com).
Two further Internet Service Providers are likely to commence operations in the near future.
The current PTC legislation may well prove to be a barrier to the provision of any services other than email.
In the near future, I hope to see e-mail used by the new National University of Science and Technology in Bulawayo and the Africa University in Mutare. There are actually usernames for these two universities on zimbix - but they have made no attempt to use them.
Prof John G Sheppard University of Zimbabwe johnux@zimbix.uz.zw
Director P.O. Box MP 167 Phone: +263 4 303211 xt 1378
Computer Centre Harare, Zimbabwe UZim FAX: +263 4 333407
and +263 4 335249