Last week, one of the most visible internet access providers in Zimbabwe, Africom, went to the press with an announcement that they had partnered MTN to “connect Zimbabwe to the rest of Africa and the world.” We found this mostly meaningless, because, well, Zimbabweans are already connected to the rest of Africa and the world in many ways. What new way was Africom bringing? Now considering the prominence Africom was giving to this new deal, we decided to solicit the assistance of the readers in figuring it out. We also sent an email to Africom seeking a clarification of the new deal.
Africom responded today. They basically remixed their statement from last week, which is to say, they’re still not saying anything tangible. We still have no idea in what new way them and MTN are now to connecting Zimbabwe to the rest of Africa and the world. Here’s the full text of today’s release:
MTN Africom Partnership.
Africom has partnered with MTN to connect Zimbabwe to the rest ofAfrica and the world. These two telecommunication giants are joining hands to provide local subscribers an opportunity to seamlessly interact with the global market using telecommunication services. This will be achieved through delivering leading-edge technology that guarantees exceptional quality of service as well as extremely dynamic and progressive communication solutions.
The Internet is often described as an engine of globalization that knocks down borders and imposes market competitiveness on every nation. As the Internet becomes integrated into the practices of businesses, governments, and social movements, the world becomes smaller, and this partnership between Africom and MTN would help keep Africa on par with global trends and developments, bringing Africa a step closer to realizing its boundless potential.
An operator for voice and data enterprise solutions in Zimbabwe and beyond, Africom is a well-known brand in this market; making a synergistic partnership with MTN a leading Telecommunication provider in Africa is a match made in heaven.
MTN has, over the last two years, showcased its custodian approach to delivering REAL bridging of the digital divide to the markets it operates in and is excited and well positioned to offer technology and services to its partners. Furthermore, for over two decades, MTN has played a pivotal role in providing quality voice, mobile, connectivity, Internet access, managed services and software solutions to the continent.
“We are determined to offer customers a new communication experience via MTN’s understanding that having a “borderless” Africa is a dream that we know is achievable. Through partnership, we believe we can help bring Africa closer.” Says Nomalanga Nkosi, GM at MTN.
Is it just us?
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17 comments
who ever comes up with these statements should be fired! Failing to elaborate once we call it an oversight, but twice is incompetence.
No its called Marketing. Now they’ve got you’re interest. Did you see the iPhone 5s details released the very day apple decided to makie it?..No. Let please get this mentality of simply attacking companies on TechZim.
Time, at no point during my comment did I attack Africom, I merely aired my view – as you did. Lets not get too defensive when others comment , even if we dont agree with it. The point of this is to agree to disagree. Chill man…
Occasionally, the nature of these comments will be “that works,” or “that doesn’t work” between this 2 Big established companies….
Dear TZ, Africom might be on the verge of 4G LTE, something that Econet doesn’t have
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha you killed me…
asi unofunga kuti LTE inotengwa neloan inobva kuPOSB kani? Iwe, UK yakatotangirwa neVodacom SA in making an official LTE launch, and then again Vodacom yacho only has a handful of eNodeBs in select areas.
The other limiting factor is lack of spectrum because companies like
Sentech have not yet fully gone digital, so they are holding onto much
needed frequency bands. ko yenyu ZBC yapapi nedigitalization??? Horaiti
spectrum issues are not major, Africom itself is light years from
national coverage using its 1990s equipment, wakuda kutaura LTE! Call me anti-developmental or what, but try Realist!
Thats why POTRAZ forced companies to share equipment. Besides, if you had used Africom, you would experience the web in ways you thought didn’t exist.
Africom’s 3G CDMA network is way faster (which is an understatement) compared to Econet’s 3G GSM. Africom has room for growth in terms LTE because they are merely breaking ground as opposed to Econet who would have to upgrade, which is obviously more expensive. If they capitalise on their partnership with MTN, we might just get it. Note, is said might. They didn’t want to give the potential/current customer false hope. Africom is only for $25/GB as compared to $90/GB offered by Econet. It’s only a matter of marketing strategy. Another problem that Africom faces is that of the quantity and quality of devices, since CDMA lines can’t run on GSM models depending on the device.
On ZBC, no one watches it. Two, it’s the govt’s job to look for investors.
this could be some enhanced voip technology that enable subscribers to call at heavily discounted rates!!
They probably are enjoying the suspense, given its now bringing debate here. Good for their marketing. Hopefully it will help in their data products and come up with some pricing regime that can make us look for their dongles in our archives.
The only way forward on the mass market scene is unlimited, affordable mobile broadband. We can just pay for speed like with the Telone ADSL. The over-priced pay per megabyte segment is already saturated with the current Africom offerings and Econet.
This statement just simplye killed me:
“making a synergistic partnership with MTN a leading Telecommunication provider in Africa is a match made in heaven.” – They must have consulted an “O” Level English Language major for that one….ha ha ha ha ha ha
Occasionally, the nature of these comments will be “that works,” or “that doesn’t work” between this 2 Big established companies.
desist from speculation or being promulgators of it. Shame on africom, mtn and techzim also.
I think speculating is not a bad thing hey, especially when a company forces us to do so, the way Africom has.
cheaper for africom as in no international gateway for comms btwn SA and Zim. but then again MTN is negotiating the same kind of deal with every operator.
It’s like saying we shall embark on a journey where we shall pack bags and drive a car so that we get to our destination and do things!