Econet set to adjust promotional bundle prices

The Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (Potraz)’s recent sector report said mobile network operators’ running costs grew by 34.1 percent in the first quarter of 2021 to $7.6 billion, up from $5.7 billion in the previous quarter.

Econet Wireless Zimbabwe will this week review the price of its promotional voice, data and SMS bundles, according to a notice issued to customers by the mobile operator.

The adjustment, which sources in the company said will be around 20 percent, will come into effect on Thursday, July 8, 2021, and is largely seen as a response to escalating operational costs.

The Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (Potraz)’s recent sector report said mobile network operators’ running costs grew by 34.1 percent in the first quarter of 2021 to $7.6 billion, up from $5.7 billion in the previous quarter.

“Staff costs, depreciation and bandwidth costs continued to constitute the bulk of mobile network operating costs,” the regulator said in the report released last month.

Potraz noted that the continued rise in prices of goods and services in the country, in line with movement of the foreign exchange market, was not helping matters in the telecommunications sector.

“Foreign currency shortages continued to bedevil the economy at large, with implications on network expansion, upgrade and maintenance taking a toll on quality of service as demand for data surged for operators,” the report read in part.–herald.cl.zw