Zimbabwe's NetOne Strikes Loan Deal for Rural Expansion
Zimbabwe's second-largest mobile operator, NetOne, has agreed a vendor financing deal worth US$71 million with Huawei Technologies to help fund its network expansion in rural areas, according to local media reports.
The financing deal, in the form of a loan via Huawei from the China Exim Bank, will fund the expansion of state-owned NetOne's mobile network in hard-to-reach areas, reports The Herald.
That expansion will include the construction of 250 basestations during the next three months that will enable the provision of voice and data services, including mobile banking via NetOne's OneMoney platform, to rural communities.
NetOne is regarded as a laggard compared with market leader Econet Wireless, so this move to expand rural connectivity is part of its effort, under pressure from Zimbabwe's government, to improve its performance.
For expert insights into Zimbabwe's communications services market from Xalam Analytics' Guy Zibi, see Making Sense of Zimbabwe's Surprisingly Solid Telecoms Market.
— The staff, Connecting Africa
Zimbabwe's second-largest mobile operator, NetOne, has agreed a vendor financing deal worth US$71 million with Huawei Technologies to help fund its network expansion in rural areas, according to local media reports.
The financing deal, in the form of a loan via Huawei from the China Exim Bank, will fund the expansion of state-owned NetOne's mobile network in hard-to-reach areas, reports The Herald.
That expansion will include the construction of 250 basestations during the next three months that will enable the provision of voice and data services, including mobile banking via NetOne's OneMoney platform, to rural communities.
NetOne is regarded as a laggard compared with market leader Econet Wireless, so this move to expand rural connectivity is part of its effort, under pressure from Zimbabwe's government, to improve its performance.
For expert insights into Zimbabwe's communications services market from Xalam Analytics' Guy Zibi, see Making Sense of Zimbabwe's Surprisingly Solid Telecoms Market.
— The staff, Connecting Africa