NetOne data traffic market share rise by 8.8%

State-owned telecommunications firm NetOne saw its internet and data traffic market share rise by 8.8% to 24.71% in Q1 2024, up from 15.91% in Q4 2023, according to the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ). Meanwhile, Econet Wireless Zimbabwe's market share dropped by the same margin to 74.94%. Telecel's share remained constant at 0.35%.

NetOne's data traffic doubled to 14.4 petabytes, while Econet's increased by 11.78% to 43.8 petabytes. Overall mobile internet traffic grew by 24.9% to 58.44 petabytes. POTRAZ attributes this trend to the shift from voice-centric to data-centric services, digital expansion, remote working, online learning, and streaming services.

Despite NetOne's growth in data traffic, Econet remained dominant in mobile voice traffic, increasing its market share to 88.03%, while NetOne's share dropped to 11.84%. Telecel's share also declined to 0.13%.

The sector saw a 1.56% decline in active mobile subscriptions to 14,746,943, with NetOne experiencing a 5.52% drop and Econet a marginal 0.04% decline. Telecel, however, saw a 4.34% increase in subscriptions.

Looking ahead, telecoms companies plan to increase investments in response to growing demand for ICT services, driven by digital transformation and technological advancements, which are expected to create new business opportunities and boost the sector's growth.