Does Telecel Have 4G?

Does Telecel have 4G? Telecel Zimbabwe has the third-largest coverage of 4G internet in Zimbabwe. Econet Wireless has the widest 4G coverage while NetOne has the second-largest coverage.

Telecel has very little coverage compared to its two competitors who own about 90% of the 4G  infrastructure combined leaving Telecel with the 10%. Telecel has been lagging behind for a number of reasons over the years which have greatly affected its growth.

When was Telecel established?

Telecel Zimbabwe started operating in the year 1998. This was not too long after NetOne and Econet had opened shop. NetOne, which is 100% government-owned, is Zimbabwe’s first-ever mobile network operator and it is the second-largest network. 

Econet is the second mobile network and it is the largest service provider with over 55% of the market share. Telecel and NetOne share the remaining 45% of the market. Telecel is the first Zimbabwean mobile operator to receive ISO 9001: 2000 certification. 

Who owns Telecel?

The major shareholder of Telecel is the Zimbabwean government with a 60% stake. The remaining  40% is owned by different organizations that include the Indigenous Businesswomen Organization, Zimbabwe Miners’ Federation, Affirmative Action Group, War veterans association, and the Zimbabwe Farmers Union. 

All these organisations fall into the Empowerment Corporation which was long led by Dr James Makamba. There has been a lot of hassling and tussling over the years with the main issue being shareholding. 

At one point the company’s licence was almost revoked after the company had failed to maintain a 51% or more in favour of locals in its ownership structure. POTRAZ eventually extended the licence in 2013 for another 20 years after Telecel had drafted an exit plan for the foreign shareholders. 

The stake was later sold to the government and today they are the major shareholder. In recent years there has been a general consensus with regard to the future of the company. The company has a lot of catching up and more so now when other service providers embrace newer technologies.

Does Zimbabwe have 5G?

Econet Wireless launched 5G in Harare in February 2022. Most recently 5G was also launched in Bulawayo. The company is working with Ericsson to roll out this new technology all across Zimbabwe. 

NetOne is planning to launch 5G in the near future. Telecel has not yet communicated its position with regard to 5G but it is very important for the company to stay relevant in that space. 5G is simply the latest generation of mobile broadband that will change how we live and do business. 

It is many times faster than its predecessor 4G which is otherwise known as LTE. There are many emerging technologies that are heavily dependent on 5G. These technologies will be used in the 5 main sectors logistics, agriculture, mining, finance, and energy. 

Data will be produced and collected from vehicles, machines, and equipment and will enable us to anticipate upcoming trends and help us to be better prepared for them at the individual, business, and government levels.