Internet usage keeps breaking records according to POTRAZ’s Q1 2021 report

The Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ) has released the sector performance statement for Q1 2021. Now, this isn’t the full report, but more a highlight of what will come from the more granular document that will be released soon.

Here are the numbers from Q1 2021

Mobile internet and data subscriptions

As we are still in the thick of the pandemic, mobile internet and data subscriptions are still climbing. According to POTRAZ in Q1 2021 data subscriptions rose by 1.7% to reach 9,029,644, from 8,875,649
recorded in the fourth quarter of 2020. This increase in mobile data users resulted in internet penetration going up by 0.2% to register 61.1% from the 60.9% that was recorded in Q4 2020.

Data and internet usage

This won’t be too much of a surprise to anyone, mobile internet and data usage increased by 29.9% from the 16,834 TB registered in Q4 2020 to reach 21,865TB in Q1 2021. International bandwidth likewise saw a 9.3% increase to record 174,645Mbps from the 159,665Mbps recorded in Q4 2020.

The reason for the continued increase in internet usage is, of course, the shift to digital that has been brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Telephone subscriptions

Active fixed telephone subscriptions continue to tumble with Q1 recording a 1% decline to reach 249,486 from the 252.067 that was recorded in Q4 2020. On the other hand, teledensity, which is the number of telephone connections per 100 people in a geographic location, stayed steady at 1.7%.

Active mobile phone subcriptions

Mobile telephone subscriptions declined by 1.7% in Q1 2021 to record 13 million from the 13.2 million that was registered in Q4 2020. This resulted in mobile telephone penetration declining by 2.7% to reach 87.8% from the 90.5% recorded in Q4 2020.

MNO revenues and operating costs continue to rise

Total mobile network operator revenue grew by 12.3% to reach ZWL$13.8 billion from the ZWL$12.3 billion that was registered in Q4 2020. And as is common in this strange economic environment, operating costs grew likewise by 32.9% to record ZWL$7.6 billion from the ZWL$5.7 billion registered in the fourth quarter of last year.

You can download the full statement with the link below:

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