31 October 2024

NetOne has launched 5G with the support of Huawei, promising its subscribers ‘faster speeds, reduced latency and improved connectivity.’

The 5G rollout is part of NetOne’s planned actions to regain its market leadership position. The company is banking on meeting the growing demand for high-speed connectivity and plans to abandon 2G and 3G in favour of later mobile technologies. It recently commissioned 275 4G base stations across Zimbabwe.

NetOne had 4.25 million mobile subscribers as of 31 December 2023, for a market share of 28.4%, according to the Posts and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ). Rival Econet – which launched 5G in 2022 - dominates the market with 10.44 million subscribers, representing a market share of 69.7%.

The deployment of 5G is expected to enable NetOne to increase its revenues. In addition to meeting the growing demand from its current and future subscribers, the public company intends to focus on the Internet of Things (IoT). It plans to target easily profitable sectors such as manufacturing, construction and mining.