TELECOMMUNICATIONS

STATUS IN ZIMBABWE
Sirewu Baxton
sirewu@potraz.gov.zw
 Background
• Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of
Zimbabwe (POTRAZ)
o Established by the Postal and Telecommunications Act of 2000.
o Started its operations in March 2001
o POTRAZ situated at Emerald Business Park, No. 30 The Chase
Harare
• Legislation brought about a new institutional framework
for telecommunications:
o Liberalized the sector
o Introduced distinct roles of government, regulator, operators, and
consumers.
 POTRAZ MANDATE
• Ensuring provision of sufficient domestic and
international telecommunication services
• Ensuring provision of services at rates
consistent with the provision of an efficient and
continuous service
• Promote the development of the sector services
in accordance with:
o Practicable recognised international standards
o Public demand
 POTRAZ MANDATE cont’d
• Furthers the advancement of technology
• Represents Zimbabwe internationally in
matters relating to the sector
• Establishes, approves or controls the
National Numbering plan
• Manages the Radio Frequency Resource
• Advises the Government on all matters
relating to the telecommunication services
 General Country Background
Location Southern Africa

Area 390 590 square Km

Population 12.6 Million

Population Distribution 38% Urban: 62% Rural

• Telecommunication service usage is mainly in

urban areas.
 MARKET STRUCTURE
FIXED
• One fixed public operator (TelOne.)

• Offers local, regional and international voice telephone services.

• Has 337 881 subscribers (Lines)

• The fixed teledensity is 2.68%.

• Of these, 61 % are in the capital Harare.

• 53% are residential lines.

• 84 % of the lines are connected to the digital exchange.

• 17 % of the lines are in rural areas.

 MARKET STRUCTURE
MOBILE
• There are three mobile operators: Econet, Net One and Telecel

• The current subscriber base as at 30 June 2011 for the operators:

Econet 5,521,000

Telecel 1,297,000

Net One 1,349,000

• Mobile teledensity stands at 64.85 %.

• All mobile operators are 100% digitalized

• All the three operators offer 2G, GPRS, EDGE, and 3G services.

• Public mobile internet subscribers are currently 1.5 million.

 MARKET STRUCTURE
INTERNET ACCESS
• The licensees are issued with either Class A or Class B.

• Class A allow VoIP services.

• Class B does not offer VoIP services.

• There are 11 Class A Internet Access Providers.

• There are 2 Class B Internet Access Providers.

• Internet users are estimated to be 1.6 million.

• Internet penetration rate is currently 12.7 %.

 MARKET STRUCTURE
GENERAL
Type of Operator Number of licenses'
PSTN 1
Mobile 3
Internet Access Class A 11
Public Data 2
 SECTOR PERFORMANCES
(Number of subscribers in `000)
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

NetOne 331 418 347 1,200 1,349

Econet 649 990 3,200 5,200 5,500

Telecel 246 248 451 1,300 1,297

Tel One 345 364 385 378 338

 ICT INFRASTRUCTURE

• The country is now linked to the undersea

cables as follows:
Operator Backbone fibre Link capacity Status

Powertel • Harare-BYO- Plumtree-Botswana STM 16 Completed

• Harare- Mutare - TDM STM 16 Complete
Econet/Liquid • Harare-Masvingo-Beitbridge- South Africa STM 64 Complete
Telecom • Harare-BYO- Beitbridge – South Africa STM 64 Work in progress
Tel One • Harare-Mutare-Mozambique STM 64 Complete
• Harare-Mazoe-Chinhoyi STM 16 Complete
• Harare-Chinhoyi-Makuti-Chirundu-Zambia STM 16 Complete
• Masvingo-Beitbridge-South Africa STM 64 Work in progress
• Harare-Gweru- Bulawayo-Beitbridge STM 64

Africom • Harare-Mutare-Mozambique - Work in progress

 • Zimbabwe Telecommunications Backbone

ZAMBIA Makuti
Kariba
Karoi MALAWI
Raffingora

Livingstone Susamoya
CHINHOYI DRW
HARARE Mutoko
Binga
Idara Sayanyama
Vic Falls Nembudziya Chakari Chegutu
Hwange Gokwe Marondera Nyangap
Beatrice
Kadoma
Rusape
Dete
Chivhu
Kwekwe MUTARE MOZAMBIQUE
Gwaai Lalapanzi
Mvuma
GWERU
Shurugwi BBG
Nyamandhlovu
Chenoia
Chimanimani
MASVINGO
Figtree
BULAWAYO Revuli Chipinge

Plumtree Nyoni Key

Checheche
BOTSWANA TelOne Existing
Rutenga Chiredzi Backbone
Triangle
Live Fibre
Beitbridge
Incomplete Fibre

SOUTH AFRICA

Powertel Africom Econet/Ecoweb Proposed Zim National

Infrastructure Infrastructure Infrastructure Telecel Backbone Backbone
 • Zimbabwe Telecommunications Backbone

ZAMBIA Makuti
Kariba
Karoi MALAWI
Raffingora Bereru Nyamapanda

Livingstone
CHINHOYI
Mutoko
Binga HARARE
Vic Falls Nembudziya Chakari Chegutu Marondera
Hwange Gokwe Nyanga
Beatrice
Kadoma
Rusape Cecil Kop
Dete
Kwekwe Chivhu
Lalapanzi MUTARE MOZAMBIQUE
Gwaai Mvuma
GWERU
Shurugwi BBG
Nyamandhlovu
Chimanimani
MASVINGO
Figtree
BULAWAYO Chipinge

Plumtree Key
Checheche
BOTSWANA
Rutenga
Triangle Chiredzi
Powertel Existing
Beitbridge backbone

Fibre
SOUTH AFRICA

TelOne Africom Econet/Ecoweb Proposed Zim National

Infrastructure Infrastructure Infrastructure Telecel Backbone Backbone
 • Zimbabwe National Infrastructure Backbone

ZAMBIA Makuti
Kariba
Karoi MALAWI
Raffingora Bereru

Livingstone Susamoya
CHINHOYI
HARARE Mutoko
Binga

Vic Falls Nembudziya Chakari Chegutu Chitungwiza

Hwange Gokwe Maronderara Nyangap
Beatrice
Kadoma
Rusape Cecil Kop
Dete
Chivhu
Kwekwe MUTARE MOZAMBIQUE
Gwaai Lalapanzi
Mvuma
GWERU
Shurugwi BBG
Nyamandhlovu
Chimanimani
MASVINGO
Figtree
BULAWAYO Chipinge

Plumtree Key
BOTSWANA
Checheche Africom
Rutenga
Chiredzi
Existing
Triangle Backbone
Beitbridge Fibre Incomplete

SOUTH AFRICA

Powertel TelOne Econet/Ecoweb Proposed Zim National

Infrastructure Infrastructure Infrastructure Telecel Backbone Backbone
 • Zimbabwe National Infrastructure Backbone

ZAMBIA Makuti
Kariba
Karoi MALAWI
Raffingora Bereru
Mazowe
E/S Susamoya
Livingstone CHINHOYI
Mutoko
Binga HARARE
Vic Falls Nembudziya Chakari Chegutu Chitungwiza
Hwange Gokwe Marondera Nyangap
Beatrice
Kadoma
Rusape Cecil Kop
Dete
Chivhu
Kwekwe MUTARE MOZAMBIQUE
Gwaai Lalapanzi
Mvuma
GWERU
Shurugwi BBG
Nyamandhlovu
Chimanimani
MASVINGO
Figtree
BULAWAYO Chipinge

Plumtree Gwanda Key

Checheche
BOTSWANA
Econet/Ecoweb
Rutenga Chiredzi Existing
Triangle Backbone
Beitbridge
Fibre
Incomplete Fibre

SOUTH AFRICA

Powertel TelOne Africom Proposed Zim National

Infrastructure Infrastructure Infrastructure Telecel Backbone Backbone
 • Zimbabwe Telecommunications Backbone

ZAMBIA Makuti
Kariba
Karoi MALAWI
Raffingora Bereru
Mazowe
Livingstone E/S
CHINHOYI
Mutoko
Binga
HARARE
Marondera
Vic Falls Nembudziya Chakari Chegutu
Hwange Gokwe Nyanga
Beatrice
Kadoma
Rusape Cecil Kop
Dete
Chivhu
Kwekwe MUTARE MOZAMBIQUE
Gwaai Lalapanzi
Mvuma
GWERU
Shurugwi BBG
Nyamandhlovu
Chimanimani
MASVINGO
Figtree
BULAWAYO Revuli Chipinge

Plumtree Nyoni Key

Checheche
BOTSWANA

Chiredzi
Rutenga
Telecel NO
Triangle
Beitbridge
Backbone

SOUTH AFRICA

Powertel TelOne Econet/Liquid Africom Proposed Zim National

Infrastructure Infrastructure Infrastructure Infrastructure Backbone Backbone
 • Zimbabwe Telecommunications Backbone
Kanyemba
To ZAMBIA
Chirundu
Muzarabani
Makuti Mhangura
Kariba Mt Darwin
Centenary
Karoi Rushinga To MALAWI
Nyamapanda
To ZAMBIA Siyakobvu Raffingora Bindura
Livingstone Shamva
To Namibia Siyabuwa Mazoe
CHINHOYI
HARARE Mutoko
Binga Murewa
NembudziyaSanyati
Vic Falls Chakari Chegutu Chitungwiza Marondera
Hwange Gokwe Nyanga
Beatrice Hwedza
Kamativi Kadoma Rusape Cecil Kop
Dete
Kwekwe
RedCliff Lalapanzi Chivu MUTARE To MOZAMBIQUE
Gwaai
GWERU Hot Springs
Inyathi Gutu
Shurugwi BBG
Turk Mine
Nyamandhlovu Mvuma
Chimanimani
Zvishavane
Figtree
BULAWAYO Chipinge
Esigodhini
MASVINGO
Plumtree Filabusi Key Proposed
Checheche
Gwanda ZIMBABWE
To BOTSWANA Rutenga Triangle Bckbone
W Nicholson Chiredzi
Antelope Mine
Thuli Mbizi

Chikwalakwala Fibre
Beitbridge
To MOZAMBIQUE

To SOUTH AFRICA

Powertel TelOne Econet Africom Natioal

Infrastructure Infrastructure Infrastructure Telecel Infrastructure Backbone
 • Zimbabwe Telecommunications Backbone

To ZAMBIA Kanyemba
Chirundu
Muzarabani
Makuti Mhangura Mt Darwin
Kariba Centenary
Karoi Rushinga To MALAWI
Nyamapanda
To ZAMBIA Siyakobvu Raffingora Bindura
Shamva
To Namibia Livingstone Siyabuwa Mazoe
CHINHOYI
HARARE Mutoko
Binga Murewa
NembudziyaSanyati
Vic Falls Chakari Chegutu Chitungwiza Marondera
Hwange Gokwe Nyanga
Beatrice Hwedza
Kamativi Kadoma
Rusape Cecil Kop
Dete
Kwekwe
Lalapanzi Chivu MUTARE To MOZAMBIQUE
Gwaai RedCliff
GWERU Hot Springs
Inyathi Gutu
Shurugwi BBG
Turk Mine
Nyamandhlovu Mvuma

Zvishavane
Chimanimani National
Figtree
BULAWAYO Backbone
MASVINGO Chipinge
Esigodhini
To BOTSWANA Plumtree Filabusi Key
Checheche TelOne
Gwanda
Rutenga Triangle Powertel
W Nicholson Chiredzi
Antelope Mine
Thuli Mbizi Econet

Africom
Chikwalakwala
Beitbridge
To MOZAMBIQUE POTRAZ

To SOUTH AFRICA

Powertel TelOne Econet/Ecoweb Africom

Infrastructure Infrastructure Infrastructure Telecel Infrastructure
 Redundancy
• Complementary Systems
– Multi-operator scenario
– Traditional Earth Stations
– VSAT HUBS
– Terrestrial Microwave
– Mobile Satellite Systems
Thank You

Tatenda