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Telecoms operator Econet Zimbabwe has increased its mobile data market share and consolidated its position as the major digital service provider in the country.
This according to the 2020 fourth quarter sector performance report released by the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ), which showed that Econet’s mobile Internet and data traffic market share surged by 8.7 percentage points to reach 78.4%.
The telecommunications regulator said, “A total of 16,834 Terabytes of mobile Internet and data was consumed in the fourth quarter of 2020. This represents a 13.1% increase from 14,878 Terabytes consumed in the third quarter of 2020.”
“In-bundle data constituted 97.1% of total mobile Internet and data usage, up from 95.1% recorded in the third quarter of 2020,” said the report.
Other industry operators such as Netone and Telecel did not fare well as they lost market share by 8.1% and 0.6%, respectively.
At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Econet repositioned its business in an effort to meet consumers’ ever-changing needs by investing US$2.5 billion in network infrastructure that enabled its customers to work and learn from home.
POTRAZ has urged more investment in data infrastructure to expedite the country’s digital transformation journey by increasing access to data services to support critical imperatives such as online education, health and economic recovery, among others.
The report noted that Zimbabwe is likely to witness a surge in demand for communication services, in particular data and courier volumes as consumers adapt to the new way of life and of doing business.
“Hence, digitalisation is likely to be scaled up, with operators repositioning themselves by upgrading and automating their networks to enhance agility to deliver new services and applications to meet fast changing and versatile consumer demands.
“Coverage only, will no longer be a key strategic factor, hence we may see operators investing more in faster broadband technologies such as 4G and probably 5G. Given the demand in broadband, and the competition in its provision, there will be renewed focus on customers’ needs by taking a more refined approach to customer engagement,” read the report.
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