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Zambia coverage

Quality tier C. Thin. One usable network or consistently under 15 Mbps. We sell it, we label it, and we price it accordingly.

24

Mbps typical

5

Mbps when busy

2

networks available

Which network you get

CarrierRole5G
MTNPrimary, used by default4G only
AirtelFailover, used when the primary degrades4G only

You do not choose between them. If the network you are on gets congested we move you to the other one automatically, in the middle of your trip, and tell you afterwards.

Your phone
Carrier Acongested, 4 Mbps
Carrier Bclear, 61 Mbps
Moved, without asking you
A single carrier provider cannot make this move. It is the whole reason we buy from more than one.
A single carrier provider cannot make this move.

About these figures

The speed figures on this page show the typical download speed and the speed when the network is busy, for the country as a whole and for its main cities.

What the Zambia numbers mean

Two numbers matter and only one of them is the one every seller quotes. The typical speed, 24 Mbps, tells you what a good moment looks like.

The tenth percentile, 5 Mbps, is the one that matters. It is the speed in the worst tenth of the day, when the cell above the station is full and everybody around you is on it too. A country with a high median and a low floor is a country that works beautifully right up until the moment you actually need it.

If the trip depends on video calls or tethering, plan around the busy figure rather than the typical one.

What happens in Zambia when the network is busy

Congestion is not a fault, it is a Tuesday evening. The question is what your eSIM can do about it, and for most travel eSIMs the answer is nothing: one wholesale agreement per country, one network, and no way out except buying a second eSIM from somebody else while standing in the street.

Here, Orbislo traffic runs over MTN and Airtel. When the network you are on degrades we move you to another one, mid trip, without you asking, and tell you afterwards rather than interrupting you at the time.

Questions about Zambia

Which network will I be on in Zambia?
MTN or Airtel. Orbislo moves you to whichever is performing better where you are standing, without asking you and without you noticing.
How fast is the data really?
Typical download speed is 24 Mbps, and 5 Mbps when the network is busy. The busy figure is the one to plan around: it is what you can expect when the cell is crowded.
Can I tether a laptop?
Yes, on every plan, at the same allowance as your phone data and at no extra cost. At 24 Mbps expect a tethered laptop in Zambia to be fine for email and documents and strained by video calls.
Do speeds vary within Zambia?
Yes. Speed depends on where you are, the time of day and how busy the network is. It is usually highest in the cities and along the main roads, and lower in the mountains and on the water.
What if I get no signal at all in Zambia?
Open the app and use your free rescue data: customers get at least 100 MB once a calendar month, loaded onto your line, and it works at a zero balance. It exists for exactly this moment, because needing data in order to buy data is not a situation anybody should be put in. If that cannot find a network either, message us from the app and we will sort it.
Will my phone work in Zambia?
If it supports eSIM and is not carrier locked, yes. We check your exact model before you pay and tell you plainly if it will not work, rather than taking the money and leaving you to find out on arrival.

Coverage nearby

Zambia plans from $2.65Africa regional planCompare every country

How Zambia compares across Africa

Regional typical speed
29.5 Mbps
Upstream networks
2, MTN, Airtel
5G
4G only
Next fastest nearby
Tanzania, 24 Mbps
Next slowest nearby
Mayotte, 23.2 Mbps
Cities with their own page
2: Lusaka, Livingstone

Nearby destinations in Africa

Namibia
Namibia, 29 Mbps, 2 networks
Senegal
Senegal, 29 Mbps, 2 networks
Algeria
Algeria, 27 Mbps, 2 networks
Uganda
Uganda, 27 Mbps, 2 networks
Nigeria
Nigeria, 26 Mbps, 2 networks
Tanzania
Tanzania, 24 Mbps, 2 networks
Mayotte
Mayotte, 23.2 Mbps, 3 networks
Madagascar
Madagascar, 22 Mbps, 2 networks
Ethiopia
Ethiopia, 21 Mbps, 2 networks
Libya
Libya, 20.1 Mbps, 3 networks

Cities with their own page

Livingstone
Harry Mwanga Nkumbula International Airport, nearest airport LVI, 4 km from Livingstone
Lusaka
Kenneth Kaunda International Airport, nearest airport LUN, 20 km from Lusaka