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2 Million Mobile Internet Subscribers in Zimbabwe


Mobile internet subscribers on Zimbabwe's three mobile networks rose to over 2 million by the end of August this year, according to the Posts and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ).

POTRAZ said there were 2.16 million mobile internet subscribers on Econet's network while those connected through Telecel Zimbabwe numbered 59,694.

The smaller operator Netone, which is owned by the government, had 11,873 subscribers accessing the internet through its network.

The POTRAZ report shows that about 2.2 million Zimbabweans in total are accessing the internet through mobile devices, out of a total population of about 13 million.

Almost 10 million Zimbabweans are expected to own and use mobile phones by the end of this year, up from 8,5 million recorded last year, as the country's technological revolution forges ahead.

Mobile voice penetration is expected to grow to 79% by year-end. Despite the investments being made by government and the private sector in the country's Information Communication Technology (ICT) infrastructure, Zimbabwe still facing challenges in data and voice areas, evidenced by congestion and slow connectivity.

The internet penetration rate though is still below international levels of 26,6% but above the regional average of 11% and continues to steadily improve and is estimated to reach 19% by end of 2012.

The use of internet to carry voice, technically referred to as VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) telephony, is forcing traditional telecommunications companies all over the world to remodel and reshape their business strategies.

The rapid increase in mobile phone deployment in Zimbabwe has created business opportunities for small and medium-scale entrepreneurs in the country.
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