Zimbabwe, located in southern Africa, is landlocked, with a diverse topography ranging from highveld, balancing boulders and flaming msasa trees, to laidback towns, lush mountains and lifeblood rivers. Its population is unevenly distributed, with a high concentration in the capital city, Harare, and other major cities, such as Bulawayo and Chitungwiza, but rural areas are significantly less populated. Zimbabwe's telecommunications sector is developing, with mobile operators like Econet, NetOne and Telecel leading in terms of infrastructure, while the fixed-line operator is TelOne. There has been significant growth in mobile money services due to the country's economic challenges. In addition to the country's existing hydropower operations, there is a growing interest in solar power, due to the country's favourable sunny climate, but this sector is still in its infancy.

ITU Region
Region-1
Geographic Region
Regulatory Body
Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe POTRAZ
Zimbabwe world map

Mobile Network Operators

The are 3 companies operating mobile networks in this region.

Econet Wireless logo
Econet Wireless Zimbabwe, a subsidiary of Econet Global, was founded by Strive Masiyiwa in the early 1990s. The company officially launched its network on July 10, 1998, and was listed on the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange on September 17, 1998. It has grown to become Zimbabwe's largest provider of telecommunications services, offering mobile and fixed wireless telephony, internet access, and payment solutions. Econet Wireless Zimbabwe has consistently led in innovation and service delivery, maintaining a dominant position in the Zimbabwean telecommunications market.
Country
NetOne Zimbabwe logo
NetOne, Zimbabwe's first cellular network operator, was established in 1996 as a parastatal entity under the ownership of the Zimbabwean government. It was launched during the World Solar Summit in Harare with an initial capacity of 500 lines. The network expanded to Bulawayo in 1997 during the International Trade Fair. As a subsidiary of the Post and Telecommunication Corporation (PTC), NetOne has grown to become the second-largest cellular company in Zimbabwe, boasting 4,472,592 subscribers by 2021. The company provides a range of services, including basic telephony, vehicle tracking, short...
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Telecel RCA logo

Telecel Zimbabwe, a prominent mobile telecommunications network service provider, began its operations in 1998. It was initially formed as a partnership between Telecel International, a subsidiary of Cairo-based Orascom Telecom Company, and the Empowerment Corporation, a consortium of Zimbabwean business organisations. Over the years, the company underwent changes in ownership, with ZARNet, a government entity, acquiring a 60% shareholding. This acquisition was part of the government's strategy to increase its stake in the telecommunications sector. Telecel Zimbabwe is headquartered in Harare...

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Wireless Spectrum Bands