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Tonderai Rutsito Techspot
TelOne’s decision to roll out new Wi-fi hotspot service is paying dividends, given the popularity that it’s generating across the nation. TelOne is moving with the times as it has moved from copper-based landlines to offering Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line, an internet access service running on their

copper lines, to broadband in a short space of time.

The ADSL move was noble, but came a little late when subscribers were already looking for cheaper, faster alternatives.

Another amazing technology they brought was the high speed ADSL, technically called the SHDSL (Symmetrical High-speed Digital Subscriber Line).

Since then, the State-owned operator has learnt the power of speed hence the move to introduce Wi-fi hotspots.

It, however, boggles the mind, why it took them so long when they had the back-hauling fibre for years and had enough copper wires back then to run descent internet speeds as their gateway for the Wi-Fi hot- spots.

To show its seriousness TelOne is planning to build the first Metro Wi-Fi in Zimbabwe, which is a very ambitious project, to say the least.

High-end Market

This mass market strategy is likely going to bring them huge returns, unlike their competitor who initially rolled the same technology, but targeting the high-end market, which of course may have made huge sense back then but not anymore.

TelOne is moving rapidly to occupy good public spaces such as major commuter omnibus pick-up points around the Harare CBD.

The major advantage of this is they would have a mass market during peak hours. Today passengers wait for transport for an average of 30 to 50 minutes during peak hours and this is the time that TelOne is looking at utilising for people to use the hotspots.

If they manage to hook the thousands that frequent these bus termini to their Wi-Fi then they will be set.

This I believe will require a little more of creative marketing than simply leaving it to billboards to advertise the presence of their Wi-Fi in different areas.

◆ The writer is the Editor forTechnoMag,Zimbabwe’s premiere technology magazine. Follow us on our social platforms Twitter: @TechnoMagZw, Facebook: www.facebook.com/technomagzw .