HARARE – Zimbabwe’s mobile voice traffic in the country has decreased by 16.7 percent to 2.5 billion minutes in the first quarter of 2023 compared to the previous quarter, according to the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (Potraz),
The decline was attributed to the negative impact of a 50% tariff increase and the substitution of traditional voice calls with voice-over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services. The increased use of VoIP allows individuals to make voice calls using a broadband internet connection instead of a regular phone line.
Potraz also stated that the decline in voice traffic was influenced by increased load shedding, which resulted in lower call-success ratios. However, the power supply situation in Zimbabwe improved in the second quarter of the year due to increased output from the Kariba hydropower station and the addition of two new generators at the Hwange thermal plant.
In terms of market share, NetOne experienced a 2.8% increase, while Econet and Telecel lost market share by 2.6% and 0.2%, respectively, in the voice traffic sector.
On the other hand, mobile internet and data traffic usage increased by 12.3% to 37,690.4 terabytes in the first quarter of 2023 compared to the previous quarter. The total number of active internet subscriptions also saw a slight increase of 0.1% to 9,920,847 as of March 31, 2023.
Mobile network operators recorded a 34.8% growth in revenue to $161 billion, while operating costs increased by 25.7% to $103 billion, indicating diminishing operator profits. Capital expenditure by mobile operators improved by 11.4% to $14.2 billion, and there was an increase in the deployment of LTE (Long Term Evolution) and 3G networks.
Potraz expressed its readiness to tap into opportunities arising from digital transformation, highlighting the increase in applications for Mobile Virtual Network licenses, which will boost competition in the sector. The authority also expects consumers to enjoy enhanced service flexibility with options such as LTE, fiber, and satellite in the near future.
