Telecel introduces more than 70 Wi-Fi Hotspots. How do you compete with free?

L.S.M Kabweza Avatar
Telecel, TelecelGo Points, Telecel Rewards

Telecel has over the past couple of months quietly launched a Wi-Fi network for its subscribers. With just a little more 70 Wi-Fi hotspots in Harare, Bulawayo, Mutare and Victoria Falls, the company is offering subscribers a faster way to access the internet as well as cheaper bundles  ($1 a GB).

It was long overdue and Techzim is glad Telecel is finally doing something about it.

To use the Telecel Wi-FI hotspots customers will need to activate the service and buy bundles via the *480# menu. Here are the available bundles:

We notice the ‘discrepancy’ of $1 buying 1GB where $2 is buying 250MB. We’re guessing it’s about the number of days the bundle is valid for.

Telecel is however entering a market that’s already dominated by one player, ZOL.

ZOL currently has some 670 hotspots around the country, and it doesn’t help matters for Telecel that these hotspots offer free access for an hour to anyone, even those without ZOL accounts. It’s hard to compete with free, so no prizes for guessing whose hotspot customers will connect to when Telecel Wi-Fi and ZOLspot show up on their phones.

And it’s not just ZOL. There’s TelOne and Dandemutande (Yo Africa Chilli spots & Maxspots) too. And Econet offers WiFi on the same spots as ZOL. Aside: it’s a bit strange that Econet charges for Wi-Fi on the same spot that ZOL provides it free, unless there’s something we don’t get.

Back to Telecel, essentially Techzim thinks Telecel will have to rework this offering so they can compete effectively against free. It’s great they have started all the same.

Here’s the list of locations where you will find a Telecel WiFi hotspot:

HOTSPOT NAMESTREETCITY
Body Works106 Parkade Centre Fife Street / 9th AvenueBulawayo
Bulawayo Centre Hotspot37A Bulawayo Centre building. Cnr 9th and 10th AvenueBulawayo
Derby House HotspotOffice 1 First Floor Derby Hse. Joshua Nkomo and 6th AvenueBulawayo
Durashine Carwash HotspotCnr 14th Avenue, Robert Mugabe WaBulawayo
EmnganwiniEmganwinini Flea MarketBulawayo
Esibayeni Leisure HotspotMpopoma Avenue Cnr Gampu. MatshobaneBulawayo
George Silundika Hotspot114 George Silundika Avenue Btwn 11/12th AvenueBulawayo
Middy’s Café129 J Tongogara 13/14 AvenueBulawayo
Montgomery HotspotPlot 3 MontgomeryBulawayo
Selbourne Byo Hotspot14647 Inungu Road Selbourne ParkBulawayo
Water World67 Dundee Drive Barham GreenBulawayo
White OrchidJason Moyo/12th AvenueBulawayo
Amazon Gardens Hotspot30 Arundel school roadHarare
A-Plus ITCnr Julius Moyo and Nelson MandelaHarare
Build and Construct210 Courtney Hotel Cnr 8th and SelousHarare
celebration centre3 Swan Drive, Borrowdale Harare
CellOne5 Topics Building 1st StreetHarare
Chang Tai Resturant83 Churchill Ave GunhillHarare
Cignal Satelites116 Mbuya Nehanda Street Harare
Eastview HotspotNo. D208 Zambezi Court, Eastview Gardens, Eastlea Harare
Espresso Cafe – Departure TerminalHarare International AirportHarare
Espresso Cafe Domestic Departure Harare International AirportHarare
Espresso Cafe -International Departure LoungeHarare International AirportHarare
Golden Stairs Hotspot122 Golden Stairs RdHarare
HICCHICCHarare
innov8 AvondaleShop 9 Shamock Avodale Shopping CentreHarare
Innov8 kamfinsaKamfinsa Shopping Centre Acturus rdHarare
IT WorkshopRoom 1 Mercuy House cnr Chinhoyi and Union Chinhoi MallHarare
Kingstone5 Topics Building 1st StreetHarare
Lijat Investment87 Chinhoyi Street CBDHarare
Long Chen ResturantLong Chen Complex BelvedereHarare
Medix PharmacyPomona Food courtHarare
Megawatt CourtFlat 34 MegawattHarare
Ocean BasketSam Levy VillageHarare
PasadzaAvondale Flea marketHarare
Princess Place308 Princess Place Cnr 9th and LivingstoneHarare
Samlevy_HotspotAvondale Flea marketHarare
Shamwari ComplexCnr 2nd street and Maarsdrop rdHarare
Smart Tutorial SolutionsR Mugabe Way/11th AveHarare
Spar Ballentyne HotspotBallantyne ShopsHarare
Spar Sam Levy HotspotSam Levy Village BorrowdaleHarare
st elmosSam Levy VillageHarare
SteelmateMagaba mbareHarare
The Bridge HotspotGroombridge Spar Mt PleasantHarare
Vainona Hotspot21 Armadale road vainonaHarare
Westgate Grill HotspotC7 Cinema Court Westgate MallHarare
Westgate SIS HotspotWestgate Shopping MallHarare
ZDECO College HotspotCnr Sam Munjoma and SelousHarare
Acarcia GardenWestgateHarare
Dzimba Dzemabwe72 cork road, avondale, harareHarare
Elephant_Walk_HostspotElephant Walk ComplexHarare
GroombridgeHarare
Grill HSHarare
Ideal Solutionsmall shop 5 133 mbuya nehanda stHarare
National SPORTS Stadium21 Armadale road Harare,263Harare
Newlands/ Reddune FitnessHarare
Open Mesh HotspotHarare
Profitness GymSamyLevy ( above ster kinekorHarare
Reddune21 Armadale Road,HarareHarare
Burger Bar46 Second StreetMutare
Itrain College51 4th StreetMutare
Millers Hotspot11 Miller Ave, MorningsideMutare
Motomoto19 Third streetMutare
Palm Court9 Palm Crt, 94 Third StreetMutare
Prosper Kadzunge Hotspot19 Third streetMutare
Sizzlers MutareBhadella Arcade, 91 H.Chitepo StMutare
UMRRT1 Hosgood AvenueMutare
Bongoland FlatsClark RoadVic Falls
Mama AfricaLandlea ComplexVic Falls
Sopers ComplexSopers BuildingVic Falls
Veg MartAerdromeVic Falls

5 comments

  1. Imi Vanhu Musadaro

    Econet charges for Wi-Fi on the same spot that ZOL provides it free because they aren’t the same company, in as much as they have the same holding company. If ZOL decides to charge for, or remove its WiFi hotspots it should not impact you as an Econet customer and vice-versa.

    1. L.S.M Kabweza

      Point wasn’t about ownership. It was, why does Econet expect anyone to use their WiFi where there’s a free alternative

  2. Rog one

    Econet owns liquid and liquid owns ZoL so now you know the maths

  3. ruben

    It seems Telecel has been launching a lot of good products and services lately and the communication is kind of loud, any idea whose behind this transformation Techzim, could it be the new shareholder or it is a change in internal management?

  4. Anonymous

    Maxzone gives you 130MB-50c or 285MB-$1 and that’s for 30 days it’s maybe the cheapest I’ve seen on the market

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