Netone targets increased subscribers

State owned mobile services provider, NetOne, is targeting to increase its subscriber base to three million people by the end of this year, an official said on Monday.

NetOne has been lagging behind its competitors, Econet and Telecel, in terms of attracting subscribers and upgrading network infrastructure due to financial constraints.

Chief executive officer Reward Kangai told the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Information Communication Technology that the firm currently has between 2,7 and 2, 8 million subscribers.

"We are targeting three million subscribers by December 2014. I think we are on course to meet that target," he said.

Kangai said products such as One Wallet, which allows customers to access crucial services including purchasing electricity units as well as provision of various data and voice services promotions, would drive subscriber growth.

"We have already put on order an additional one million simcards so that we do not have any shortages."

He said due to the envisaged growth, the company was also targeting to increase its network capacity to cater for six million subscribers by the end of the year.

Kangai, however, said the firm was facing various challenges in its efforts to increase network coverage.