Maximum data

The demand for broadband data across Africa continues unabated, and in Zimbabwe one of the first of a dozen licensed Internet access providers, Dandemutande Investments’ Umax, launched service in June promising a wholly differentiated offering to what consumers have so far been used to

Zimbabwe’s capital Harare has seen a dramatic rise in broadband investment and coverage, both wireless and wireline, in recent years

In June, Umax launched in Zimbabwe’s capital Harare, operating under the umbrella of Dandemutande Investments, the holding company for Utande Internet Services, a well-known communications provider in Zimbabwe’s telecom sector.

The operating company Umax runs a WiMAX network at 2.5GHz and promises amongst other things: super-fast 1 Mbps connections for all customers; 24-hour customer support; an expertly managed network for maximum up time and superior and consistent quality; and multiple Max mini-stores within some of Harare’s leading retail locations.

Umax claims to also be the only broadband Internet service provider in the country to offer a loyalty programme – Max Rewards – for all customers.

Alvarion, a company providing optimised wireless broadband solutions addressing the connectivity, coverage and capacity challenges of telecom operators, smart cities, security, and enterprise customers supplied Umax’s WiMAX network together with the customer premises equipment.

“We do have plans to extend the network beyond Harare,” Mike Weeden, Dandemutande’s interim CEO said. “We will initially expand the network within Harare with further infrastructure and then the next phase will focus on geographical coverage throughout Zimbabwe,” he added.

Dandemutande Investments is majority owned by Masawara Plc; a Jersey registered investment company that is primarily focused on acquiring interests in companies and projects based in Zimbabwe and the southern African region. Dandemutande Investments claims to have made an initial capital investment of over US$17 million as part of its Umax roll-out.

Weeden said prior to commercial launch the company had a six-month pilot phase over which period it added a few hundred friendly customers. “We are now aiming for several thousand new customers within the next 12 months,” Weeden said.

Umax’s initial network capacity is for 10,000 users and the company offers three bundles for customers, all based on speeds of 1Mbps, with 60 days validity. These are: Megamax with 2GB at US$70; Mightymax with 6GB at US$140 and Monstermax with 12GB at US$240.

Umax indoor access devices are sold for US$200 including VAT, with the outdoor access device retailing at US$475, including installation, with the Wi-Fi router and VAT.

Dandemutande holds an Internet access provider (IAP) Class A telecommunications licence that it was awarded by the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ) in July 2009. The licence allows the company to construct, operate, develop, extend, and maintain a public data and Internet access network, and to offer voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services. To date, most of the licensed IAPs have not launched commercial services.

Competition in the broadband space in Zimbabwe is frantic as service providers look to capitalise on the data opportunity, with those enjoying deeper pockets having been investing in backhaul and backbone infrastructure. Earlier this year for example, TelOne, Zimbabwe’s state-run monopoly fixed-line operator announced the completion of the laying of a fibre cable along the Harare – Bulawayo highway, with the telco stating that it was in the process of connecting all cities and towns in between.

The capacity of the cable is 10Gbps and TelOne is reportedly now working on a cable linking Bulawayo to Victoria Falls and another to Beitbridge. The Beitbridge cable is set to further connect to an undersea fibre cable system in South Africa, with TelOne already owning a fibre cable running from Harare to Mutare for onward connection through Mozambique to the EASSy undersea fibre cable system.

Along with PowerTel, another state-owned IAP, and Liquid Telecom, a private player and subsidiary of Econet Wireless International, TelOne has one of the most expansive terrestrial fibre cable networks in Zimbabwe, and offers some of the most competitive broadband Internet services in the country via its ADSL service, which it has a monopoly on.

For its part, Liquid Telecom recently confirmed that the construction of its fibre link between South Africa and Zimbabwe was progressing well.
Starting from the north of South Africa, extending from Johannesburg to Zimbabwe, the 521 kilometre link connects to Liquid Telecom’s existing fibre network and will carry much-needed capacity from the submarine cables inland.

Liquid Telecom has built the largest fibre network in Southern Africa, which provides backhaul between most urban areas and last mile connectivity in the main cities of Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Lesotho and South Africa.
Its network is the first to cross country borders and covers some of the most challenging parts of the world where no fixed network has existed before.

Liquid Telecom operates as a wholesale carrier in all five countries as well as an operator in Zambia and Zimbabwe, providing virtually unlimited broadband capacity to operators, ISPs, banks, mining companies and other corporations.

Zimbabwe’s 12 IAP class A licensees

Africom

Aptics Trading

Aquiva Wireless
Dandemutande

Ecoweb (Pvt) Ltd
PowerTel Communications

Telecontract
TelOne

Transmedia Corporation
Valley Technologies

BlueSat Access

Pecus Enterprises

Source: Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ)