Zimbabwean regulator revises telecoms rates

Zimbabwe’s telecommunications regulator, the Posts and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ), has revised telephone tariffs downwards by up to 40 per cent in a move aimed at making communications more affordable.

Zimbabwe’s hyperinflation has led the government to allow use of the US$ as an alternative currency

POTRAZ ordered service providers to reduce telephone tariffs by 25-40 per cent. The latest development comes after a massive hike in Zimbabwean telephone charges since January when retailers, including service providers, were first allowed to charge in foreign currency.

The average tariff before the latest POTRAZ order was US$0.30 per minute, and the new tariffs will see rates fall to around US$0.20 per minute, which still remain comparatively high compared to other network operators on the continent.

Zimbabwe has three mobile operators and a single fixed-line player. Mobile penetration at the end of Q308 stood at less than 10 per cent, with a total of 1.21 million subscribers, according to data from Informa Telecoms and Media.