Zimbabwe’s ICT ministry wants the country’s mobile density to increase by 20% per year until 2014.
The aim, which would double mobile penetration to roughly 45%, is one of several targets laid out in the ministry’s newly released strategic plan for the…
Zimbabwe’s ICT ministry wants the country’s mobile density to increase by 20% per year until 2014.
The aim, which would double mobile penetration to roughly 45%, is one of several targets laid out in the ministry’s newly released strategic plan for the next four years.
The target growth rate is moderate when compared to growth rates of the past six years, which have ranged from 25% to 50%. However, mobile penetration remains low, with only 21% of the population registered with a mobile phone.
Also in the plan, the ministry says all major cities should be linked by fibre optic cable within December 2014, while it expects the country to have three working links to international bandwidth gateways by January 2012.
The strategy does not mention the government’s plans regarding its respective fixed-line and mobile incumbents TelOne and NetOne. The ICT minister Nelson Chamisa has previously confirmed that the government has held talks with Telkom about a possible deal over TelOne, while Vodacom and MTN have openly expressed their interest in NetOne.