Published: 16 January 2014

Zimbabwe's mobile penetration rate has reached 103,5 percent as the number of mobile subscribers reached more than 13,5 million by December last year.

According to third quarter statistics released by the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority, total active subscription for mobile phone users went up 7,14 percent from 12,6 million in March 2013 to 13,5.

However, the number of subscribers does not reflect the actual number of users as some users have more than one active line.

"The number of subscribers does not directly translate to the number of users as there can be more than one user on a single internet subscription as is the case for corporate and household data and internet subscriptions," Potraz said. Zimbabwe's current total population is 13.06 million.

The total number of data and internet subscribers for the quarter was 5,2 million with a penetration rate of 39,8 percent while fixed line subscribers decreased from 314 622 in the previous quarter to 307,202 in the period under review. The country's largest mobile phone operator Econet Wireless registered the highest increase in subscriptions from 8 million in March to 8,5 million.

Government owned NetOne grew from 2, 1 million subscribers to 2,45in the third quarter while Telecel added just over 100 000 subscribers from 2, 43 million to 2, 54 million in the periodunder review.
- bh24

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