(Ecofin Agency) - In 2021, Econet kicked off plans with rival NetOne to expand its telecom network.  In February, the operator signed a new partnership agreement with Sweden's Ericsson to modernize its network infrastructure.

Telecommunications company Econet Wireless Zimbabwe has announced plans to upgrade 500 of its base stations and deploy 300 new stations across the country before the end of the year. The mobile operator aims to improve the quality and coverage of the telecom services it provides to its subscribers.

"Following this investment, customers should experience faster data speeds, better call quality, and overall improved coverage, particularly in areas that were previously underserved," said Kezito Makuni, Econet's COO.

The project is part of the efforts initiated by Econet, since 2021, to boost its network capacity to meet growing consumer demand for data and voice services. Since the beginning of the year, the company has made several investments to for instance upgrade 200 base stations and build a new data center…

The investments are made in a difficult operating context marked by widespread network problems due to power shortages, an upsurge in vandalism, a shortage of foreign currency, inflation, and rising operating costs with tariffs that do not reflect costs...

"The network upgrade and expansion provides us with the opportunity to leverage on emerging new technologies, such as the Internet of Things (IoT), cloud computing and artificial intelligence.  These transformative technologies have the potential to change our day to day lives, business processes, optimize resource allocation and create innovative solutions," said Makuni.

The network upgrade and extension should also strengthen Econet's position in the Zimbabwean telecoms market. According to the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ), as of the end of December 2022, the telecom company was controlling 69.9% of the market.

Isaac K. Kassouwi