Categories: Stories

Zimbabwe now has more phone subscribers than its population!

Zimbabwe now has more telephone subscribers than its population. There are now 13.52 million subscribers while the population is estimated at 13.06 million- a mobile penetration rate of 103.5 percent.

According to the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ) there are now 13 518 887 mobile phone subscribers with Econet almost accounting for two thirds of the subscribers.

It has 8 522 941 more than double the total subscribers for the other two networks. Telecel has 2 544 339 while NetOne has 2 451 607.

Fixed network, or landline, subscribers are declining. The number dropped from 314 622 to 307 202.

There is no study yet of the actual individual subscribers as the number of subscribers relates to SIM cards issued. More people have more than one SIM card and most subscribe to at least two networks.

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Charles Rukuni

The Insider is a political and business bulletin about Zimbabwe, edited by Charles Rukuni. Founded in 1990, it was a printed 12-page subscription only newsletter until 2003 when Zimbabwe's hyper-inflation made it impossible to continue printing.

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