from MARCUS MUSHONGA in Harare, Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe Bureau
HARARE, (CAJ News) – ECONET Wireless Zimbabwe has added some new 20 fifth-generation (5G) sites in the third quarter of 2024.
The operator assured that the commissioning of the sites nationwide demonstrates a commitment to providing a network of international quality.
During the period, ended November 30, 2024, base station modernisation efforts continued with 16 new sites and the upgrading of 33 radio access sites and 270 microwave access links.
“This has resulted in improved quality of service and speed,” said Tatenda Ngowe, Group Company Secretary, stated on in trade update, on behalf of Econet.
The group successfully completed upgrading the core network which marked a pivotal milestone of Econet’s digital service provider (DSP) journey.
The network operator believes the critical enhancement and modernization effort has significantly improved the central part of the network, integrating systems such as charging, billing, and application servers in addition to enabling advanced digital and artificial intelligence (AI) features.
“The modernised network enables advanced digital use cases such as high-quality voice calls over 4G/LTE network (VoLTE),” Ngowe said.
In response to evolving and growing data use needs Econet is targeting high-volume data users with its Smart4Home, its new fixed wireless product.
Econet reports that it remains committed to delivering value to all its stakeholders pointing out it will continue to invest in digital transformation, embracing AI and actively pursuing strategic opportunities to enhance and complement the company’s product and service portfolio.
“There are significant growth opportunities in digital payments, driven by increasing adoption of mobile wallets,” Ngowe said.
Econet is the most dominant player in Zimbabwe, with a market share of over 71 percent, or 10,6 million subscribers while state owned NetOne and Telecel Zimbabwe occupy second and third positions respectively.
– CAJ News