Business / Companies
Zimbabwe welcomes fourth mobile telecom operator
07 Jan 2015 at 14:01hrs | Views
Powertel, a subsidiary of state owned power company, Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA) Holdings, has been unveiled as the southern African country's fourth mobile network service.
Currently, Zimbabwe, with a population of 13 million people, has three operating mobile phone and internet service providers. They include the pan-African giant Econet Wireless, Telecel and Netone.
"This has always been Powertel's objective to offer total telecommunications solutions to Zimbabwe and Africa at large," said Powertel's marketing manager, Prosper Mutswiri.
Stoking competition.
According to Potraz's latest data, Econet Wireless has 8,5 million subscribers, Telecel 2,54 million users and state-owned NetOne 2,45 million subscribers, meaning the entire population is roughly accounted for the current operators.
However Powertel is now set to further stoke competition within a relatively small market by becoming its fourth player. This was made possible after it was granted a converged telecommunications licence by the regulatory body, Posts and Telecommunication Regulatory Authority (Potraz), to provide both voice and internet services in Zimbabwe.
"To keep up with competition, you also need to be innovative hence we are not diversifying as such but we are moving fast to fulfil the set objectives of the business as outlined on its formation," added Mutswiri.
Currently, Zimbabwe, with a population of 13 million people, has three operating mobile phone and internet service providers. They include the pan-African giant Econet Wireless, Telecel and Netone.
"This has always been Powertel's objective to offer total telecommunications solutions to Zimbabwe and Africa at large," said Powertel's marketing manager, Prosper Mutswiri.
Stoking competition.
According to Potraz's latest data, Econet Wireless has 8,5 million subscribers, Telecel 2,54 million users and state-owned NetOne 2,45 million subscribers, meaning the entire population is roughly accounted for the current operators.
However Powertel is now set to further stoke competition within a relatively small market by becoming its fourth player. This was made possible after it was granted a converged telecommunications licence by the regulatory body, Posts and Telecommunication Regulatory Authority (Potraz), to provide both voice and internet services in Zimbabwe.
"To keep up with competition, you also need to be innovative hence we are not diversifying as such but we are moving fast to fulfil the set objectives of the business as outlined on its formation," added Mutswiri.
Source - Ventures Africa
