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Lovemore Meya Herald Correspondent
Mobile operator NetOne has registered an increase in the revenue market share during the second quarter of the year, while Telecel and Econet declined, the sector’s regulator has said.

It moved from 13,5 percent to 14, while Econet declined from 78 percent to 77,9 and Telecel from 8,5 to 8,1 percent. According to the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (Potraz)’s abridged postal and telecommunications sector performance report, only NetOne gained revenue market share.

The increase was attributed to its popular OneFusion package which has taken the market by storm. Last year, more than half a million subscribers moved to NetOne as a result of the package.

NetOne has been pioneering communication technology solutions to the market and a lot of subscribers have since migrated to it.

“In the first quarter of 2017, NetOne had 13,5 percent and now it has increased to 14 percent,” reads the report.

“Econet declined from 78 percent in the first quarter of the year to 77,9 percent in the quarter under review. Telecel also registered a decline as it stumbles from 8,5 percent to 8,1 in the second quarter. NetOne’s market share increased by 0,5 percent whereas the market share of Econet and Telecel declined by 0,1 and 0,4 percent respectively.”

Potraz said all the mobile operators generated $185,6 million in the second quarter of the year.

“The three mobile operators generated a total of $185,6 million in the second quarter of 2017. This represents a 3,2 percent increase from $179,8 million recorded in the previous quarter. The aggregate average revenue per user per month remained at $3,98,” Potraz said.

Potraz said the operators’ operating costs declined, whilst investment increased.

“Total operating costs declined by 3,3 percent to $131,5 million from $135,8 million recorded in the previous quarter. The aggregate average costs per user per month declined by 2,3 percent to record $3 from $3,07 to $3 recorded in the previous quarter. Investment by the mobile operators increased by 382,6 percent to record $50 489 313 compared to $10 461 052 in the previous quarter. The bulk (of the) investment was in national transmission,” Potraz said.