ZICTA shuts down four Copperbelt radio stations over aircraft signal interference

Four unnamed radio stations on the Copperbelt Province have reportedly been shut down by the Zambia Information and Communications Technology Authority (ZICTA) for allegedly interfering with aircraft communication and navigation systems. According to ZICTA, the decision follows technical assessments jointly conducted with the Zambia Civil Aviation Authority (ZCAA), which confirmed that some stations were emitting out-of-band and other unwanted signals. In a statement issued in Lusaka on Wednesday, ZICTA Manager for Corporate Communications, Hanford Chaaba, said the problematic emissions “included harmonics and intermodulation products.” Chaaba explained that the emissions extended beyond the stations’ assigned frequencies in the FM broadcasting band.

As a result, the Authority shut down the four radio stations, which will only be allowed to resume broadcasting once they fully comply with applicable regulations. “The ZICTA wishes to inform the public and all regulated entities of the recent regulatory actions taken against four (4) radio stations that have been causing frequency interference to aircraft communication and navigation systems,” he said. Chaaba further stated that the emissions from the stations were interfering with radio frequencies used for air navigation, posing potential danger to aircraft and the lives of passengers on board.

He emphasized that aviation communication and navigation systems require clean, interference-free signals to ensure safe aircraft operations — including maintaining contact with air traffic control and enabling accurate navigation. “Therefore, any interference in these frequencies is a violation of national spectrum rules, pursuant to Section 79 of the Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) Act No. 15 of 2009, and failure to comply with the terms and conditions of a licence constitutes an offence,” Chaaba said.

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He added that all licence holders are legally required to operate strictly within assigned frequencies, stay within approved bandwidth limits, and avoid causing harmful interference to other authorized services, particularly those tied to safety of life. Licensees must also maintain their equipment to the technical standards prescribed by the regulator. “ZICTA has directed all broadcasters that have been identified as sources of harmful interference to cease transmission immediately until all technical faults, equipment issues, or configuration problems have been fully resolved and verified through regulatory inspection,” Chaaba said.

Chaaba stressed that the integrity of the national spectrum and the safety of critical services such as civil aviation would not be compromised. “The Authority reaffirms its commitment to safeguarding the public, protecting national airspace, and ensuring that radio frequency spectrum is managed efficiently, responsibly, and in accordance with international best practice,” he assured.

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