Zimbabwe mobile phone subscriptions near 15 million

Mobile phone subscriptions in Zimbabwe are rapidly approaching the 15 million mark, with a notable increase in data and internet subscriptions recorded during the second quarter of this year, according to Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister, Dr. Jenfan Muswere.

Following yesterday's Cabinet meeting, Dr. Muswere announced the adoption of the postal and telecommunications sector's second-quarter performance report for 2024, presented by ICT, Postal and Courier Services Minister, Tatenda Mavetera.

The report highlights the country's ongoing adoption of information and communication technologies (ICTs) as part of its national vision for achieving an empowered upper-middle-income society by 2030. Dr. Muswere emphasized the importance of creating transparent and responsible systems to facilitate growth in line with this vision.

"Zimbabwe must be proactive in leveraging ICTs for its development, as these technologies are advancing globally," said Dr. Muswere. He noted that mobile subscriptions now stand at 14,834,345, up from 14,739,613 in the first quarter of 2024.

The report also indicated an increase in data and internet subscriptions, with mobile data traffic rising by 12.5%, reflecting a shift toward online activities relying on mobile connectivity. Additionally, fixed telephony maintained a tele-density of 1.9%.

The growth in ICT infrastructure was another key point, with 272 new Long Term Evolution (LTE) base stations deployed. Econet Wireless added 31 new base stations, while NetOne decommissioned 14 outdated 2G stations, replacing them with 4G/LTE technology. This shift from voice-centric to data-centric services has driven substantial investments in high-speed broadband infrastructure.

Cabinet also advised that quarterly reports will be published nationally, and an annual report will be submitted to the International Telecommunications Union.