Econet accelerates network modernisation
LEADING telecoms company Econet Wireless is making strides in its network modernisation efforts.
The company says it has upgraded over 1 012 sites with high-capacity base stations, resulting in improved network performance.
In a statement alongside its financial results, Econet board chairperson, Dr James Myers, announced plans to continue this progress by modernising an additional 550 base station sites across the country.
Econet’s partnerships with key equipment vendors have allowed the acceleration of the network modernisation programme after several years of limited foreign currency availability.
The company’s focus on AI tools has also proven successful, leading to superior customer experiences and revenue growth.
Econet says it is committed to mitigating service disruptions caused by national grid power outages and has deployed renewable energy solutions to maintain high uptime for most base stations.
Econet recorded 133 percent revenue growth during the period under review, leading to a declaration and payment of an interim dividend of US$0,55 per share.
The company’s future plans include scaling up 5G penetration, leveraging AI and process automation, and investing in green power solutions to improve network availability.
“We have now modernised over 1 012 sites with 4G high-capacity base stations. Of these, 750 are in Harare and Bulawayo and the whole Manicaland region,” said Dr Myers.
“We will continue to invest in our network infrastructure in order to meet customer demands and keep abreast with global trends in line with our vision of a digitally connected future that leaves no Zimbabwean behind.”
Dr Myers expressed gratitude to the Government’s regulatory body, Potraz, for allocating spectrum in the 700MHz frequency band.
This additional spectrum acts like extra lanes on a highway, allowing existing base stations to reach more people on the fringes of current coverage.
“We deployed algorithms which greatly improved our ability to segment customers and offer highly personalised experiences.
“This has resulted in increased customer activity ratios. To improve on usage and revenue, we integrated intelligent recommendation engines and predictive models into our daily operations.
“This has enabled us to deliver a remarkable 47 percent growth in usage in the voice segment.”
Dr Myers said investment in network modernisation resulted in volume growth of voice and data of 34 percent and 36 percent, respectively. —chronicle
