TelOne targets 50,000 homes in Fibre to Home project

FIXED telephone network service provider TelOne is planning to connect 50,000 homes under the company's Fibre to the Home project at a cost of $25 million through partnership with Wuhan FibreHome Technologies.

Currently, 15,000 homes have been connected under project and an additional 10,000 should be connected by end of this year.

The proposed project will also see an estimated 100,000 homes covered across the country by 2018.

"TelOne is seeking the assistance of the Ministry (Information Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services) in getting Government authority to proceed with proposed FTTH project under a PPP (Public-Private Partnership) arrangement with Wuhan FibreHome Technologies.

"Initial projections for the first phase of this arrangement is to the tune of $25 million and this would cover 50,000 homes in Harare and other towns," said TelOne in a note to the ICT Minister Supa Mandiwanzira.

TelOne managing director Mrs Chipo Mutasa said this was part of reaching the untapped market in the face of the growing small to medium enterprise sector.

"We've the capacity and the technical expertise as TelOne, we don't need to outsource any service here, we've it all and can do it.

"We want to speak to the informal sector with Wifi, this is how we can reach to them and make an impact as well as help create employment," she said.

To date, TelOne has deployed 200 WiFi sites and targets 600 sites across the country by 2018 to enhance internet access.

The project is also in line with Sadc's vision for an 85 percent internet penetration in the region by 2020.

Zimbabwe is, however, targeting 100 percent by that period, according to Minister Mandiwanzira.

"As Zimbabwe, our target should be beyond Sadc, and Government has mandated TelOne to be the leading player in this vision.

"Everyone should have access to internet in Zimbabwe, this is the highway to social development," he said.

Minister Mandiwanzira said TelOne was fast becoming one of the best state enterprises upholding corporate governance and transparency, shown by latest financial results.

This, he said, also opened the company to public scrutiny.

In its latest financials, TelOne reported an 18 percent drop in revenue to $49 million during the first half of 2016, compared to $60 million in the same prior year period.

This was driven by a 20 percent fall in voice service revenue as consumers opt for over the top services.

Minister Mandiwanzira said the Government would continue assisting TelOne and ensure increased investment towards internet services and increase penetration, especially in peri-urban to rural schools and communities.