Many years ago, at a Techzim event, an ISP executive asked the audience: What matters more in an internet connection, more speed or a lower price? The executive seemed quite surprised to learn people were looking for cheaper not faster. We were surprised he was surprised.
Thanks to the Starlink threat, it’s finally sinking in for internet providers. Zimbabweans want more affordable internet. The first provider to make a radical counter to Starlink is Econet. It has the network coverage, and its $45 a month unlimited internet offer has got Zimbabweans talking.
The SmartBiz packages were introduced at the end of June, and it has taken 2 months to get some traction. There are 4 packages in total, with significant price differences based on how much speed you get and what your “unlimited” FUP is.
If you’re buying the $45 package, you get 5Mbps and your unlimited internet slows down after you have used 1TB. That’s what the FUP (Fair Usage Policy) there means.
Here are all the Econet SmartBiz unlimited internet packages for comparison:
| Package | Amount | FUP |
| 5 Mbps | $45 | 1TB |
| 10Mbps | $87 | 1.2TB |
| 20Mbps | $167 | 1.3TB |
| 50Mbps | $417 | 1.5TB |
We haven’t used this ourselves yet, but information we’re getting is that the speed isn’t as strictly throttled as suggested. Folks that bought the 5Mbps option have reported getting download speeds as high as 20Mbps (thank you Willard for all the useful information you’re sharing).
Given this reality, one wonders why anyone would take the 50Mbps option. The 5Mbps price is so low even the 20Mbps option feels expensive. And at any rate, a $100+ price tag is competing with Starlink’s new $100 roaming price.
Even the value in the 10Mbps package is questionable. Why pay double the price for a 20% more FUP cap? Again, price over speed.
How to buy a SmartBiz package
The best way to do this is to just walk into an Econet Shop with your ID. It’s like buying a new sim card, really, except with SmartBiz you need to pay for your first subscription. That’s it.
You don’t have to buy a router from Econet to get this service. It’s up to you to buy the sim + router (assuming the shop in stock) or to get the sim card only.
In fact you can put the sim into a regular smartphone. Say you have a Dual Sim and want to use the other sim slot for data connections and to hotspot your other devices and family.
We’re told to renew your subscription you need to go to an Econet shop as well, which is a bit strange. We suspect these are just launch hitches and soon you’ll be able to pay on EcoCash without the shop visits.
What is the network coverage?
This is an Econet Sim card so wherever the operator already has data coverage, this will work. That’s what we expect at least! And whatever internet speeds you’re getting there, you’ll also get on this SmartBiz sim. Well, based on your package.
The difference really is how the billing works. You pay monthly for this one, and on your anniversary, unless you renew, you get cut off.
Is it Geo-locked?
Non-Geo locked LTE sim cards are gold in Zimbabwe. These LTE connections are so valuable there’s a black market for them. That market will likely dry up as Zimbabweans learn of this SmatBiz. It comes without any Geo-locking.
Given the Geolocking incentive is to predict and control capacity, we wonder how Econet will deal with this $45 package burst in popularity. It might become a victim of its own success when people demand each their own 1TB concurrently in their thousands from a base station.
Econet will have to increase the capacity of its infrastructure, which is expensive. Maybe the $45 upfront payments will go a long way, who knows? Or the company will just slow down on the sales of these packages, or geo-lock them… and we’re right back to the sim black market!
How does it compare to Starlink? Which should you get?
If you’re within Econet coverage, the choice is a no brainer. Get the SmartBiz Package. Even with the official launch of Starlink in Zimbabwe (if it happens), the 5Mbps package will be cheaper. Slower yes, but cheaper – always the price not speed!
If prices in neighbouring prices are anything to go by, a Starlink kit is $350, while a typical MiFi router is less than $50. A Starlink monthly subscription is expected to be about $50 when it launches. SmartBiz 5Mbps is $45. Still no brainer!
Ofcourse if financial institutions step in to finance the Starlink kits, the decision is not so clear. Once the price questions is solved, speed does matter. Stability matters too. And ofcourse network coverage matters more than any of the above.
Share
Home
What’s your take?