Econet expands its 3G base

Douglas Mboweni said, “We are currently working on expanding and improving our 3G mobile internet service to offer a more robust, wider and efficient service to our valued customers. This is why you have been a lot of digging around to plant the optic-fibre cable, meant to expand our 3G band wing. We will soon announce the new improved network in a matter of weeks.”

He said that due to the popularity of the internet facility amongst Econet users countrywide, they temporarily shelved all new mobile internet subscriptions since the existing bases could not support the overwhelming demand, until the reconfiguration exercise was complete.

“When we launched the 3G product, it was more of a pilot study. We only erected base stations supporting the system in Harare. However, as the popularity of the product increased nationally, we had to expand the system to cater for all Econet line users. As a matter of fact, we realized this last year and it is then when we actually decided to expand the network. We then temporarily shelved all new mobile internet

subscriptions to avail a new improved product by expanding the existing one through erecting several bases dotted across the country,” he said.

According to Mboweni the new package system will, among other things, offer users various choices or menus depending on one’s area of specialization or interest.

“We included a package system in which people can choose their default system from a wide range of selection depending on their area of specialization, line of work or interest. The package system is similar to the same selection done when one is going over the menu in a restaurant or hotel.”

Econet Wireless was the first telecoms company in Zimbabwe and third in Africa to offer the 3G product after Tunisia and South Africa. The product was officially launched in 2009 as part of its initiative to provide a first class mobile network system.