In December last year, TelOne revealed that it had only connected some 2,600 subscribers to the ADSL since it launched the service earlier in the year. The growth has been slow. And a report yesterday shows things are still moving a bit too slowly in the ADSL division of the state owned fixed line operator. The company revealed through New Ziana that it now has some 8,600 subscribers .
The number of subscribers if half the ADSL capacity TelOne says it has – 16,000 lines. According to the report, the company plans to increase capacity to 38,000. The time period for that increase is not specified, with just an indication that the expansion plans are underway. We expected TelOne to have signed up many more than 8,600 subscribers, especially after reports this year that the service is now available in more cities and towns.
TelOne acting managing director Hampton Mhlanga recently told a parliamentary portfolio committee on Media Information and Communication that the company has “almost 350,000 fixed and wireless lines working against an installed capacity of 401,500”. The current number active ADSL subscribers therefore just represents 2.5% of the TelOne’s total phone subscribers.
The problems affecting TelOne are many. From a skills shortage, to customers not settling their bills (the biggest defaulter being the government itself), obsolete machinery, allegations of mismanagement, and the continued assault from mobile operators. Specifically Telecel and Econet. NetOne, the government owned mobile operator is having its own issues.
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3 comments
One year down the line and I must say it’s been a bumpy ride using ADSL however I dont see any other cost effective internet access in the country as well as the fact that it they do not cut off if you were to default on a single months payment not that I’m encouraging such, but it works out as an advantage.
Mobile internet providers are not serious in my opinion and they need to be aware that telone will without a doubt have the advantage when it comes to streaming multi media, one wonders why they dont team up with multichoice and offer dstv walker, drifter products they do have the bandwidth to do so…
as noted TelOne are not serious. I have from the days of the dollar intro a bill of over 400 USD. I have asked to settle this in installments so that I could get the landline back and then have ADSL. Nope, it is “all or nothing”. You call that stupid or what? So I stay with slow but usable Powertel instead.