The CIA World Factbook Every edition, 1990 to 2024 Africa
Telecommunication systems Zimbabwe, in 35 editions.
The entry for Zimbabwe published Telecommunication systems in 35 editions of 36, from 1990 to 2024. The text changed in 25 editions. Each is shown as published. Telecommunication systems in every entry.
- editions changed the text
- 25
- the first edition with it
- 1990
- the latest edition with it
- 2024
Published as “Telecommunications” (1990 to 1994), “Telephone system” (1995 to 2019) and “Telecommunication systems” (2020 to 2024).
field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe edition shownChoose an edition on the strip beside the text, or step through them with the arrows. Mark changes compares it with the edition before: the marks are ours, words added and words removed.
2024 edition
Same as 2023The same text in 1990 and 1991.
Published as “Telecommunications”
- system was once one of the best in Africa, but now suffers from poor maintenance;
- consists of radio relay links, open-wire lines, and radio communications stations;
- 247,000 telephones;
- stations--8 AM, 18 FM, 8 TV;
- 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
system was once one of the best in Africa, but now suffers from poor maintenance; consists of radio relay links, open-wire lines, and radio communications stations; 247,000 telephones; stations--8 AM, 18 FM, 8 TV; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
The same text in 1992 and 1993.
Published as “Telecommunications”
- system was once one of the best in Africa, but now suffers from poor maintenance;
- consists of microwave links, open-wire lines, and radio communications stations;
- 247,000 telephones;
- broadcast stations - 8 AM, 18 FM, 8 TV;
- 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
system was once one of the best in Africa, but now suffers from poor
maintenance; consists of radio relay microwave links, open-wire lines, and radio
communications stations; 247,000 telephones; stations--8 broadcast stations - 8 AM, 18
FM, 8 TV; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
Published as “Telecommunications”
- system was once one of the best in Africa, but now suffers from poor maintenance;
- consists of microwave links, open-wire lines, and radio communications stations;
- 247,000 telephones;
- broadcast stations - 8 AM, 18 FM, 8 TV;
- 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
system was once one of the best in Africa, but now suffers from poor
maintenance; consists of microwave links, open-wire lines, and radio
communications stations; 247,000 telephones; broadcast stations - 8
AM, 18
Published as “Telephone system”
247,000 telephones; system was once one of the best in Africa, but now suffers from poor maintenance
- local:
- NA
- intercity:
- consists of microwave links, open-wire lines, and radio communications stations
- international:
- 1 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth station
247,000 telephones; system was once one of the best
in Africa, but now suffers from poor maintenancemaintenance; local: NA
intercity: consists of microwave links, open-wire lines, and radio
communications stations; 247,000 telephones; broadcast stations - 8AM, 18 FM, 8 TV; international: 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth station
Published as “Telephone system”
system was once one of the best in Africa, but now suffers from poor maintenance
- domestic:
- consists of microwave radio relay links, open-wire lines, and radiotelephone communication stations
- international:
- satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
247,000 telephones; system was once one of the best
now suffers from poor maintenancelocal: NA domestic: consists of microwave radio relay links, open-wire lines,
intercity:and radiocommunications and radiotelephone communication stations
international: satellite earth station - 1 INTELSAT Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) earth station
Published as “Telephone system”
system was once one of the best in Africa, but now suffers from poor maintenance
- domestic:
- consists of microwave radio relay links, open-wire lines, and radiotelephone communication stations
- international:
- satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
system was once one of the best in Africa, but
suffers from poor maintenance
domestic: consists of microwave radio relay links, open-wire lines,
and radiotelephone communication stations
international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Published as “Telephone system”
system was once one of the best in Africa, but now suffers from poor maintenance
- domestic:
- consists of microwave radio relay links, open-wire lines, and radiotelephone communication stations
- international:
- satellite earth station-1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
system was once one of the best in Africa, but now
suffers from poor maintenance
domestic: consists of microwave radio relay links, open-wire lines,
and radiotelephone communication stations
international: satellite earth station - 1 station-1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Published as “Telephone system”
system was once one of the best in Africa, but now suffers from poor maintenance
- domestic:
- consists of microwave radio relay links, open-wire lines, and radiotelephone communication stations
- international:
- satellite earth station--1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
system was once one of the best in Africa, but now
now suffers from poor maintenance
domestic: consists of microwave radio relay links, open-wire lines,
and radiotelephone communication stations
international: satellite earth station-1 station--1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Published as “Telephone system”
- system was once one of the best in Africa, but now suffers from poor maintenance;
- more than 100,000 outstanding requests for connection despite an equally large number of installed but unused main lines
- domestic:
- consists of microwave radio relay links, open-wire lines, radiotelephone communication stations, fixed wireless local loop installations, and a substantial mobile cellular network;
- Internet connection is available in Harare and planned for all major towns and for some of the smaller ones
- international:
- satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat; two international digital gateway exchanges (in Harare and Gweru)
Rewritten: too little of the 1999 text remains to mark the changes.
system was once one of the best in Africa, but now suffers from poor maintenance; more than 100,000 outstanding requests for connection despite an equally large number of installed but unused main lines
domestic: consists of microwave radio relay links, open-wire lines, radiotelephone communication stations, fixed wireless local loop installations, and a substantial mobile cellular network; Internet connection is available in Harare and planned for all major towns and for some of the smaller ones
international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat; two international digital gateway exchanges (in Harare and Gweru)
Published as “Telephone system”
- general assessment:
- system was once one of the best in Africa, but now suffers from poor maintenance;
- more than 100,000 outstanding requests for connection despite an equally large number of installed but unused main lines domestic: consists of microwave radio relay links, open-wire lines, radiotelephone communication stations, fixed wireless local loop installations, and a substantial mobile cellular network;
- Internet connection is available in Harare and planned for all major towns and for some of the smaller ones international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat;
- two international digital gateway exchanges (in Harare and Gweru)
general assessment: system was once one of the best in Africa, but now suffers from poor maintenance; more than 100,000 outstanding requests for connection despite an equally large number of installed but unused main lines
The same text in 2002 and 2003.
Published as “Telephone system”
- general assessment:
- system was once one of the best in Africa, but now suffers from poor maintenance;
- more than 100,000 outstanding requests for connection despite an equally large number of installed but unused main lines
- domestic:
- consists of microwave radio relay links, open-wire lines, radiotelephone communication stations, fixed wireless local loop installations, and a substantial mobile cellular network;
- Internet connection is available in Harare and planned for all major towns and for some of the smaller ones
- international:
- satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat; two international digital gateway exchanges (in Harare and Gweru)
general assessment: system was once one of the best in Africa, but now suffers from poor maintenance; more than 100,000 outstanding requests for connection despite an equally large number of installed but unused main lines
domestic: consists of microwave radio relay links, open-wire lines, radiotelephone communication stations, fixed wireless local loop installations, and a substantial mobile cellular network; Internet connection is available in Harare and planned for all major towns and for some of the smaller ones
international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat; two international digital gateway exchanges (in Harare and Gweru)
The same text in 3 editions, 2004 to 2006.
Published as “Telephone system”
- general assessment:
- system was once one of the best in Africa, but now suffers from poor maintenance;
- more than 100,000 outstanding requests for connection despite an equally large number of installed but unused main lines
- domestic:
- consists of microwave radio relay links, open-wire lines, radiotelephone communication stations, fixed wireless local loop installations, and a substantial mobile cellular network;
- Internet connection is available in Harare and planned for all major towns and for some of the smaller ones
- international:
- country code - 263;
- satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat;
- two international digital gateway exchanges (in Harare and Gweru)
general assessment: system was once one of the best in Africa, but now suffers from poor maintenance; more than 100,000 outstanding requests for connection despite an equally large number of installed but unused main lines
domestic: consists of microwave radio relay links, open-wire lines, radiotelephone communication stations, fixed wireless local loop installations, and a substantial mobile cellular network; Internet connection is available in Harare and planned for all major towns and for some of the smaller ones
international: country code - 263; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat; two international digital gateway exchanges (in Harare and Gweru)
Published as “Telephone system”
- general assessment:
- system was once one of the best in Africa, but now suffers from poor maintenance;
- more than 100,000 outstanding requests for connection despite an equally large number of installed but unused main lines
- domestic:
- consists of microwave radio relay links, open-wire lines, radiotelephone communication stations, fixed wireless local loop installations, and a substantial mobile cellular network;
- Internet connection is available in Harare and planned for all major towns and for some of the smaller ones
- international:
- country code - 263;
- satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat;
- 2 international digital gateway exchanges (in Harare and Gweru)
general assessment: system was once one of the best in Africa, but now suffers from poor maintenance; more than 100,000 outstanding requests for connection despite an equally large number of installed but unused main lines
domestic: consists of microwave radio relay links, open-wire lines, radiotelephone communication stations, fixed wireless local loop installations, and a substantial mobile cellular network; Internet connection is available in Harare and planned for all major towns and for some of the smaller ones
international: country code - 263; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat; two 2 international digital gateway exchanges (in Harare and Gweru)
Published as “Telephone system”
- general assessment:
- system was once one of the best in Africa, but now suffers from poor maintenance;
- more than 100,000 outstanding requests for connection despite an equally large number of installed but unused main lines
- domestic:
- consists of microwave radio relay links, open-wire lines, radiotelephone communication stations, fixed wireless local loop installations, and a substantial mobile-cellular network;
- Internet connection is available in Harare and planned for all major towns and for some of the smaller ones
- international:
- country code - 263;
- satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat;
- 2 international digital gateway exchanges (in Harare and Gweru)
general assessment: system was once one of the best in Africa, but now suffers from poor maintenance; more than 100,000 outstanding requests for connection despite an equally large number of installed but unused main lines
domestic: consists of microwave radio relay links, open-wire lines, radiotelephone communication stations, fixed wireless local loop installations, and a substantial mobile cellular mobile-cellular network; Internet connection is available in Harare and planned for all major towns and for some of the smaller ones
international: country code - 263; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat; 2 international digital gateway exchanges (in Harare and Gweru)
Published as “Telephone system”
- general assessment:
- system was once one of the best in Africa, but now suffers from poor maintenance;
- more than 100,000 outstanding requests for connection despite an equally large number of installed but unused main lines
- domestic:
- consists of microwave radio relay links, open-wire lines, radiotelephone communication stations, fixed wireless local loop installations, and a substantial mobile-cellular network;
- Internet connection is available in Harare and planned for all major towns and for some of the smaller ones
- international:
- country code - 263;
- satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat;
- 2 international digital gateway exchanges (in Harare and Gweru)
general assessment:
system was once one of the best in Africa, but now suffers from poor maintenance; more than 100,000 outstanding requests for connection despite an equally large number of installed but unused main lines
domestic:
consists of microwave radio relay links, open-wire lines, radiotelephone communication stations, fixed wireless local loop installations, and a substantial mobile-cellular network; Internet connection is available in Harare and planned for all major towns and for some of the smaller ones
international:
country code - 263; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat; 2 international digital gateway exchanges (in Harare and Gweru)
The same text in 3 editions, 2010 to 2012.
Published as “Telephone system”
- general assessment:
- system was once one of the best in Africa, but now suffers from poor maintenance
- domestic:
- consists of microwave radio relay links, open-wire lines, radiotelephone communication stations, fixed wireless local loop installations, and a substantial mobile-cellular network;
- Internet connection is available in Harare and planned for all major towns and for some of the smaller ones
- international:
- country code - 263;
- satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat;
- 2 international digital gateway exchanges (in Harare and Gweru)
general assessment:
system was once one of the best in Africa, but now suffers from poor maintenance; more than 100,000 outstanding requests for connection despite an equally large number of installed but unused main lines maintenance
domestic:
consists of microwave radio relay links, open-wire lines, radiotelephone communication stations, fixed wireless local loop installations, and a substantial mobile-cellular network; Internet connection is available in Harare and planned for all major towns and for some of the smaller ones
international:
country code - 263; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat; 2 international digital gateway exchanges (in Harare and Gweru)
The same text in 2013 and 2014.
Published as “Telephone system”
- general assessment:
- system was once one of the best in Africa, but now suffers from poor maintenance
- domestic:
- consists of microwave radio relay links, open-wire lines, radiotelephone communication stations, fixed wireless local loop installations, and a substantial mobile-cellular network;
- Internet connection is available in Harare and planned for all major towns and for some of the smaller ones
- international:
- country code - 263;
- satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat;
- 2 international digital gateway exchanges (in Harare and Gweru) (2010)
general assessment:
system was once one of the best in Africa, but now suffers from poor maintenance
domestic:
consists of microwave radio relay links, open-wire lines, radiotelephone communication stations, fixed wireless local loop installations, and a substantial mobile-cellular network; Internet connection is available in Harare and planned for all major towns and for some of the smaller ones
international:
country code - 263; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat; 2 international digital gateway exchanges (in Harare and Gweru) (2010)
Published as “Telephone system”
- general assessment:
- system was once one of the best in Africa, but now suffers from poor maintenance
- domestic:
- consists of microwave radio relay links, open-wire lines, radiotelephone communication stations, fixed wireless local loop installations, and a substantial mobile-cellular network;
- Internet connection is available in Harare and planned for all major towns and for some of the smaller ones
- international:
- country code - 263;
- satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat;
- 2 international digital gateway exchanges (in Harare and Gweru) (2010)
general assessment:
domestic:
international:
Published as “Telephone system”
- general assessment:
- privatization and competition have driven rapid expansion of telecommunications, particularly cellular voice and mobile broadband, in recent years;
- continued economic instability and infrastructure limitations, such as reliable power, hinder progress
- domestic:
- consists of microwave radio relay links, open-wire lines, radiotelephone communication stations, fixed wireless local loop installations, fiber-optic cable, VSAT terminals, and a substantial mobile-cellular network;
- Internet connection is most readily available in Harare and major towns;
- 1 government owned and 3 private cellular providers;
- 3G and VoIP services are widely available with 4G/LTE service being deployed
- international:
- country code - 263;
- satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat;
- 5 international digital gateway exchanges;
- fiber-optic connections to neighboring states provide access to international networks via undersea cable (2015)
general assessment: system was once one privatization and competition have driven rapid expansion of the best telecommunications, particularly cellular voice and mobile broadband, in Africa, but now suffers from poor maintenance recent years; continued economic instability and infrastructure limitations, such as reliable power, hinder progress
domestic: consists of microwave radio relay links, open-wire lines, radiotelephone communication stations, fixed wireless local loop installations, fiber-optic cable, VSAT terminals, and a substantial mobile-cellular network; Internet connection is most readily available in Harare and planned for all major towns towns; 1 government owned and for some of the smaller ones 3 private cellular providers; 3G and VoIP services are widely available with 4G/LTE service being deployed
international: country code - 263; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat; 2 5 international digital gateway exchanges (in Harare and Gweru) (2010) exchanges; fiber-optic connections to neighboring states provide access to international networks via undersea cable (2015)
Published as “Telephone system”
- general assessment:
- competition has driven rapid expansion of telecommunications, particularly cellular voice and mobile broadband, in recent years;
- continued economic instability and infrastructure limitations, such as reliable power, hinder progress
- domestic:
- consists of microwave radio relay links, open-wire lines, radiotelephone communication stations, fixed wireless local loop installations, fiber-optic cable, VSAT terminals, and a substantial mobile-cellular network;
- Internet connection is most readily available in Harare and major towns;
- two government owned and two private cellular providers;
- 3G and VoIP services are widely available with 4G/LTE service being deployed
- international:
- country code - 263;
- satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat;
- 5 international digital gateway exchanges;
- fiber-optic connections to neighboring states provide access to international networks via undersea cable (2017)
general assessment: privatization and competition have has driven rapid expansion of telecommunications, particularly cellular voice and mobile broadband, in recent years; continued economic instability and infrastructure limitations, such as reliable power, hinder progress
domestic: consists of microwave radio relay links, open-wire lines, radiotelephone communication stations, fixed wireless local loop installations, fiber-optic cable, VSAT terminals, and a substantial mobile-cellular network; Internet connection is most readily available in Harare and major towns; 1 two government owned and 3 two private cellular providers; 3G and VoIP services are widely available with 4G/LTE service being deployed
international: country code - 263; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat; 5 international digital gateway exchanges; fiber-optic connections to neighboring states provide access to international networks via undersea cable (2015) (2017)
Published as “Telephone system”
- general assessment:
- competition has driven rapid expansion of telecommunications, particularly cellular voice and mobile broadband, in recent years;
- continued economic instability and infrastructure limitations, such as reliable power, hinder progress (2017)
- domestic:
- consists of microwave radio relay links, open-wire lines, radiotelephone communication stations, fixed wireless local loop installations, fiber-optic cable, VSAT terminals, and a substantial mobile-cellular network;
- Internet connection is most readily available in Harare and major towns;
- two government owned and two private cellular providers;
- 3G and VoIP services are widely available with 4G/LTE service being deployed (2017)
- international:
- country code - 263;
- satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat;
- 5 international digital gateway exchanges;
- fiber-optic connections to neighboring states provide access to international networks via undersea cable (2017)
general assessment: competition has driven rapid expansion of telecommunications, particularly cellular voice and mobile broadband, in recent years; continued economic instability and infrastructure limitations, such as reliable power, hinder progress (2017)
domestic: consists of microwave radio relay links, open-wire lines, radiotelephone communication stations, fixed wireless local loop installations, fiber-optic cable, VSAT terminals, and a substantial mobile-cellular network; Internet connection is most readily available in Harare and major towns; two government owned and two private cellular providers; 3G and VoIP services are widely available with 4G/LTE service being deployed (2017)
international: country code - 263; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat; 5 international digital gateway exchanges; fiber-optic connections to neighboring states provide access to international networks via undersea cable (2017)
Published as “Telephone system”
- general assessment:
- continued economic instability given fractious elections in 2013 and infrastructure limitations, such as reliable power, hinder progress;
- competition has driven rapid expansion of telecommunications, particularly cellular voice and mobile broadband, in recent years;
- 3 mobile network operators continue to invest in m-commerce and m-banking facilities;
- 3G and VoIP services are widely available with 4G/LTE service being deployed (2018)
- domestic:
- consists of microwave radio relay links, open-wire lines, radiotelephone communication stations, fixed wireless local loop installations, fiber-optic cable, VSAT terminals, and a substantial mobile-cellular network;
- Internet connection is most readily available in Harare and major towns;
- two government owned and two private cellular providers;
- fixed-line 2 per 100 and mobile-cellular 102 per 100 (2018)
- international:
- country code - 263;
- satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat;
- 5 international digital gateway exchanges;
- fiber-optic connections to neighboring states provide access to international networks via undersea cable
general assessment: continued economic instability given fractious elections in 2013 and infrastructure limitations, such as reliable power, hinder progress; competition has driven rapid expansion of telecommunications, particularly cellular voice and mobile broadband, in recent years; continued economic instability 3 mobile network operators continue to invest in m-commerce and infrastructure limitations, such as reliable power, hinder progress (2017) m-banking facilities; 3G and VoIP services are widely available with 4G/LTE service being deployed (2018)
domestic: consists of microwave radio relay links, open-wire lines, radiotelephone communication stations, fixed wireless local loop installations, fiber-optic cable, VSAT terminals, and a substantial mobile-cellular network; Internet connection is most readily available in Harare and major towns; two government owned and two private cellular providers; 3G fixed-line 2 per 100 and VoIP services are widely available with 4G/LTE service being deployed (2017) mobile-cellular 102 per 100 (2018)
international: country code - 263; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat; 5 international digital gateway exchanges; fiber-optic connections to neighboring states provide access to international networks via undersea cable (2017)
- general assessment:
- competition has driven the expansion of the telecommunications sector, particularly cellular voice and mobile broadband, in recent years;
- 3 mobile network operators continue to invest in M-commerce and M-banking facilities;
- continued advancement with national and international fiber backbone network as well as 3G and LTE mobile broadband services;
- mobile Internet connections make up 98% of all Internet connections (2020)
- domestic:
- consists of microwave radio relay links, open-wire lines, radiotelephone communication stations, fixed wireless local loop installations, fiber-optic cable, VSAT terminals, and a substantial mobile-cellular network;
- Internet connection is most readily available in Harare and major towns;
- two government owned and two private cellular providers;
- fixed-line 2 per 100 and mobile-cellular 90 per 100 (2019)
- international:
- country code - 263;
- fiber-optic connections to neighboring states provide access to international networks via undersea cable;
- satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat;
- 5 international digital gateway exchanges
note: the COVID-19 outbreak is negatively impacting telecommunications production and supply chains globally; consumer spending on telecom devices and services has also slowed due to the pandemic's effect on economies worldwide; overall progress towards improvements in all facets of the telecom industry - mobile, fixed-line, broadband, submarine cable and satellite - has moderated
general assessment: continued economic instability given fractious elections in 2013 and infrastructure limitations, such as reliable power, hinder progress; competition has driven rapid the expansion of telecommunications, the telecommunications sector, particularly cellular voice and mobile broadband, in recent years; 3 mobile network operators continue to invest in m-commerce M-commerce and m-banking M-banking facilities; continued advancement with national and international fiber backbone network as well as 3G and VoIP services are widely available with 4G/LTE service being deployed (2018) LTE mobile broadband services; mobile Internet connections make up 98% of all Internet connections (2020)
domestic: consists of microwave radio relay links, open-wire lines, radiotelephone communication stations, fixed wireless local loop installations, fiber-optic cable, VSAT terminals, and a substantial mobile-cellular network; Internet connection is most readily available in Harare and major towns; two government owned and two private cellular providers; fixed-line 2 per 100 and mobile-cellular 102 90 per 100 (2018) (2019)
international: country code - 263; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat; 5 international digital gateway exchanges; fiber-optic connections to neighboring states provide access to international networks via undersea cable; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat; 5 international digital gateway exchanges
note: the COVID-19 outbreak is negatively impacting telecommunications production and supply chains globally; consumer spending on telecom devices and services has also slowed due to the pandemic's effect on economies worldwide; overall progress towards improvements in all facets of the telecom industry - mobile, fixed-line, broadband, submarine cable and satellite - has moderated
- general assessment:
- the pandemic, drought, and rising hyperinflation have devastated the economy and hindered foreign investment;
- regulator extended tax exemption for Huawei, raising concerns of independence;
- mobile tariffs were increased three times since mid-2019, raising consumer prices;
- Internet is limited, exacerbated by inadequate electricity;
- mobile Internet connections make up almost all Internet connections;
- competition has driven some expansion of the telecommunications sector, though operators warn that lack of government investment will cause further deterioration, especially in rural areas;
- mobile network operators continue to invest in e-commerce and e-banking;
- slow progress on national and international fiber backbone network, as well as 3G and LTE mobile-broadband services;
- international bandwidth through submarine cables via neighboring countries (2020)
- domestic:
- consists of microwave radio relay links, open-wire lines, radiotelephone communication stations, fixed wireless local loop installations, fiber-optic cable, VSAT terminals, and a substantial mobile-cellular network;
- Internet connection is most readily available in Harare and major towns;
- two government owned and two private cellular providers;
- fixed-line 2 per 100 and mobile-cellular 90 per 100 (2019)
- international:
- country code - 263;
- fiber-optic connections to neighboring states provide access to international networks via undersea cable;
- satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat;
- 5 international digital gateway exchanges
note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced downturn, particularly in mobile device production; many network operators delayed upgrades to infrastructure; progress towards 5G implementation was postponed or slowed in some countries; consumer spending on telecom services and devices was affected by large-scale job losses and the consequent restriction on disposable incomes; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home became evident, and received some support from governments
general assessment: the pandemic, drought, and rising hyperinflation have devastated the economy and hindered foreign investment; regulator extended tax exemption for Huawei, raising concerns of independence; mobile tariffs were increased three times since mid-2019, raising consumer prices; Internet is limited, exacerbated by inadequate electricity; mobile Internet connections make up almost all Internet connections; competition has driven the some expansion of the telecommunications sector, particularly cellular voice and mobile broadband, though operators warn that lack of government investment will cause further deterioration, especially in recent years; 3 rural areas; mobile network operators continue to invest in M-commerce e-commerce and M-banking facilities; continued advancement with e-banking; slow progress on national and international fiber backbone network network, as well as 3G and LTE mobile broadband mobile-broadband services; mobile Internet connections make up 98% of all Internet connections international bandwidth through submarine cables via neighboring countries (2020)
domestic: consists of microwave radio relay links, open-wire lines, radiotelephone communication stations, fixed wireless local loop installations, fiber-optic cable, VSAT terminals, and a substantial mobile-cellular network; Internet connection is most readily available in Harare and major towns; two government owned and two private cellular providers; fixed-line 2 per 100 and mobile-cellular 90 per 100 (2019)
international: country code - 263; fiber-optic connections to neighboring states provide access to international networks via undersea cable; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat; 5 international digital gateway exchanges
note: the COVID-19 outbreak is negatively impacting telecommunications pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced downturn, particularly in mobile device production; many network operators delayed upgrades to infrastructure; progress towards 5G implementation was postponed or slowed in some countries; consumer spending on telecom services and devices was affected by large-scale job losses and services has also slowed due to the pandemic's effect consequent restriction on economies worldwide; overall progress towards improvements in all facets of disposable incomes; the crucial nature of telecom industry - mobile, fixed-line, broadband, submarine cable services as a tool for work and satellite - has moderated school from home became evident, and received some support from governments
- general assessment:
- Zimbabwe’s telcos continue to be affected by the country’s poor economy;
- this has been exacerbated by the significant economic difficulties related to the pandemic;
- revenue has also been under pressure from a number of recent regulatory measures and additional taxes imposed by the cash-strapped government;
- inflation has become so high that year-on-year revenue comparisons since 2019 have been difficult to assess meaningfully;
- the three MNOs continue to invest in network upgrades, partly supported by government efforts and cash released from the Universal Service Fund;
- as a result of these investments, LTE networks have expanded steadily, though services remain concentrated in urban areas;
- international bandwidth has improved since fiber links to several submarine cables were established via neighboring countries;
- the expansion of 3G and LTE-based mobile broadband services has meant that most of the population has access to the internet;
- the government has started a national broadband scheme aimed at delivering a 1Mb/s service nationally by 2030;
- investment in fixed broadband infrastructure has also resulted in a slow but steady growth in the number of DSL connections, and also fiber subscriptions;
- during 2021, most growth in the fixed broadband segment has been with fiber connections (2022)
- domestic:
- consists of microwave radio relay links, open-wire lines, radiotelephone communication stations, fixed wireless local loop installations, fiber-optic cable, VSAT terminals, and a substantial mobile-cellular network;
- Internet connection is most readily available in Harare and major towns;
- two government owned and two private cellular providers;
- fixed-line teledensity at nearly 2 per 100 and mobile-cellular nearly 89 per 100 (2020)
- international:
- country code - 263;
- fiber-optic connections to neighboring states provide access to international networks via undersea cable;
- satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat;
- 5 international digital gateway exchanges
note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services
general assessment: the pandemic, drought, and rising hyperinflation have devastated Zimbabwe’s telcos continue to be affected by the economy and hindered foreign investment; regulator extended tax exemption for Huawei, raising concerns of independence; mobile tariffs were increased three times since mid-2019, raising consumer prices; Internet is limited, country’s poor economy; this has been exacerbated by inadequate electricity; mobile Internet connections make up almost all Internet connections; competition the significant economic difficulties related to the pandemic; revenue has driven some expansion also been under pressure from a number of recent regulatory measures and additional taxes imposed by the telecommunications sector, though operators warn cash-strapped government; inflation has become so high that lack of government investment will cause further deterioration, especially in rural areas; mobile network operators year-on-year revenue comparisons since 2019 have been difficult to assess meaningfully; the three MNOs continue to invest in e-commerce and e-banking; slow progress on national network upgrades, partly supported by government efforts and international fiber backbone network, as well cash released from the Universal Service Fund; as 3G and a result of these investments, LTE mobile-broadband services; networks have expanded steadily, though services remain concentrated in urban areas; international bandwidth through has improved since fiber links to several submarine cables were established via neighboring countries (2020) countries; the expansion of 3G and LTE-based mobile broadband services has meant that most of the population has access to the internet; the government has started a national broadband scheme aimed at delivering a 1Mb/s service nationally by 2030; investment in fixed broadband infrastructure has also resulted in a slow but steady growth in the number of DSL connections, and also fiber subscriptions; during 2021, most growth in the fixed broadband segment has been with fiber connections (2022)
domestic: consists of microwave radio relay links, open-wire lines, radiotelephone communication stations, fixed wireless local loop installations, fiber-optic cable, VSAT terminals, and a substantial mobile-cellular network; Internet connection is most readily available in Harare and major towns; two government owned and two private cellular providers; fixed-line teledensity at nearly 2 per 100 and mobile-cellular 90 nearly 89 per 100 (2019) (2020)
international: country code - 263; fiber-optic connections to neighboring states provide access to international networks via undersea cable; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat; 5 international digital gateway exchanges
note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; many network operators delayed upgrades to infrastructure; progress towards toward 5G implementation was postponed or slowed in some countries; has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services and devices was affected by large-scale job losses and has increased due to the consequent restriction on disposable incomes; surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home became is still evident, and received some support from governments the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services
The same text in 2023 and 2024.
- general assessment:
- Zimbabwe’s telcos continue to be affected by the country’s poor economy;
- this has been exacerbated by the significant economic difficulties related to the pandemic;
- revenue has also been under pressure from a number of recent regulatory measures and additional taxes imposed by the cash-strapped government;
- inflation has become so high that year-on-year revenue comparisons since 2019 have been difficult to assess meaningfully;
- the three MNOs continue to invest in network upgrades, partly supported by government efforts and cash released from the Universal Service Fund;
- as a result of these investments, LTE networks have expanded steadily, though services remain concentrated in urban areas;
- international bandwidth has improved since fiber links to several submarine cables were established via neighboring countries;
- the expansion of 3G and LTE-based mobile broadband services has meant that most of the population has access to the internet;
- the government has started a national broadband scheme aimed at delivering a 1Mb/s service nationally by 2030;
- investment in fixed broadband infrastructure has also resulted in a slow but steady growth in the number of DSL connections, and also fiber subscriptions;
- during 2021, most growth in the fixed broadband segment has been with fiber connections (2022)
- domestic:
- fixed-line teledensity is 2 per 100 and mobile-cellular is 89 per 100 (2021)
- international:
- country code - 263;
- fiber-optic connections to neighboring states provide access to international networks via undersea cable;
- satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat;
- 5 international digital gateway exchanges
general assessment: Zimbabwe’s telcos continue to be affected by the country’s poor economy; this has been exacerbated by the significant economic difficulties related to the pandemic; revenue has also been under pressure from a number of recent regulatory measures and additional taxes imposed by the cash-strapped government; inflation has become so high that year-on-year revenue comparisons since 2019 have been difficult to assess meaningfully; the three MNOs continue to invest in network upgrades, partly supported by government efforts and cash released from the Universal Service Fund; as a result of these investments, LTE networks have expanded steadily, though services remain concentrated in urban areas; international bandwidth has improved since fiber links to several submarine cables were established via neighboring countries; the expansion of 3G and LTE-based mobile broadband services has meant that most of the population has access to the internet; the government has started a national broadband scheme aimed at delivering a 1Mb/s service nationally by 2030; investment in fixed broadband infrastructure has also resulted in a slow but steady growth in the number of DSL connections, and also fiber subscriptions; during 2021, most growth in the fixed broadband segment has been with fiber connections (2022)
domestic: consists of microwave radio relay links, open-wire lines, radiotelephone communication stations, fixed wireless local loop installations, fiber-optic cable, VSAT terminals, and a substantial mobile-cellular network; Internet connection is most readily available in Harare and major towns; two government owned and two private cellular providers; fixed-line teledensity at nearly is 2 per 100 and mobile-cellular nearly is 89 per 100 (2020) (2021)
international: country code - 263; fiber-optic connections to neighboring states provide access to international networks via undersea cable; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat; 5 international digital gateway exchanges
note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services
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Cite this page
Central Intelligence Agency. “Zimbabwe: Telecommunication systems.” The World Factbook, 1990–2024 editions. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/zimbabwe/telecommunication-systems.