The floor prices for voice and mobile data bundles proposed by Zimbabwean telecoms regulator, POTRAZ, which have been the subject of a lot of debate this past week have now been put into effect.
Econet Wireless Zimbabwe, the country’s largest mobile network operator has been the first to make changes. It has adjusted its product lineup and unveiled a set of new tariffs for its bundles as well as the WhatsApp and Facebook bundles. As was anticipated the costs are pretty steep.
You can view the bundles by dialling *143# on Econet
With effect from the 11th of January 2017, the cheapest bundle of data (5 MB on a standard connection plus another 5 MB available on WiFi) now costs 50 cents.
$1 will get you 10 MB plus the bonus 10 MB on WiFi and the highest amount of data you can get (2.5 GB plus 2.5 GB bonus on WiFi) now costs $50.
Social Media bundles, that is the WhatsApp and Facebook bundles that have been the cheapest avenue for partial internet access have also gone up and from the looks of things are no longer pegged individually or as weekly or monthly offerings but are instead based on data usage.
The cheapest bundle is also set at 50 cents and it comes with 10 MB of data plus a 10 MB bonus. For $2.50 (which is close to what subscribers used to pay for month’s access) you’ll now get 80 MB plus an extra 80 MB on WiFi.
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57 comments
This will retard development. Our pockets are already strained and now we have to cut communication too. Many Zimbabweans have just been pushed out of the digital age. I thought Telcos would survive through increased volumes not by extortionist pricing per Meg.
2018 elections, no more social media campaigns
Haaa yah ndiwo ma1 aya. Hazvitinetsi tongoenda kuZOL neTelone.
Wifi iri better
haaa Netone its your turn to overtake econet
hahaha dude…these price floors are across the board ! Telecel and Netone have also been directed to make the same changes.
obvious totonaga netone strive tokuona
watadza tamba nesu bho
Muchashandisa mega internet yenyu
Telone is very much affordable
inowanikwa sei telone iyi
Ukaenda paTelOne website top top you will find where it says Apply for Fiber or Apply for ADSL. Or visit any telone shop. Zvangu zvakatofaya!
telecel and net1 are yet to follow because it would be an absurd business decision to heighten prices while competitors stick to low prices.
POTRAZ are a bunch of asses, hows this going to help anyone.
you can say that again
nxaaa Econet econe econet guys, what benefit do you have to continue robbing people as if you are going to live forever? aren’t you satisfied with what you have so far or you want to recover the 24million us dollars which Strive Masiwa used to buy a mansion in US? I wonder if you have any humanity neither do you have love for the people of your nation. you are so disgusting bhwaaaa
nxaaa Econet econe econet guys, what benefit do you have to continue robbing people as if you are going to live forever? aren’t you satisfied with what you have so far or you want to recover the 24million us dollars which Strive Masiwa used to buy a mansion in US? I wonder if you have any humanity neither do you have love for the people of your nation. you are so disgusting bhwaaaa
Those who are blaming Econet did you even bother to read the article? It’s such a shame that a supposedly learned person takes the time and effort to write an entire paragraph of uninformed bullcrap!
this is going to apply to all the three companies since potraz is in charge of them all saka pakaipa
Don’t lie. The floor charge is $0.02/megabyte which translates to $1 per 50 megabytes. So telecel and netone can charge far much less than what econet is offering.
It’s so much cheaper to get wifi ,ZOL installation is free and u pay $29 per month for 15GB,Econet charges are absurd!
lol econet ndiyo ZOL
Thanks to Strive Masiiwa , let Zimbabweans suffer so that they know the truth kuti hwohwa haisi nyama
bye to Econet it was nice playing with you
Guys. This is unfair. communication is now really difficult. And everyone thinks its just Econet but they r just the ones who informed people first…
hazvisati zvatanga kuoma……tichaomerwa kusvika kuuya kwaJesu
Ma 1 azotanga manje
The floor prices are going to affect everyone. In fact, it was Telecel who changed the prices first late last year. Techzim even ran articles on these changes that Telecel made.
right now we cannot access our bundles saved in content, does this mean they have been forfeited?
Who can say extortion, robbery, and assault. This the most retarded tariff pricing in all of Africa. The highest by far. When we talk of Africa expanding it’s technology base for people to have more connections at an affordable price. This ain’t it. Econet is the robber baron of Southern Africa, along with MTN, Vodacom, Airtel. African people are now just being abused and they are laughing at government that are powerless to do anything about this because of no advancements in new technology and the process to deploy is many road blocks. How do Africa grow from the ICT side with the multi national telecom rapping the populist?
Hello Team All
You are all turning a blind eye on the fact of exactly whats happening, this is a Political Move by our Gvt to ensure that they control Social Media. You have been sendign too many videos and whats apps etc to your relatives and our Gvt found the perfect way of managing that,
this one educated and informed comment just caught my sight. this is politics. simple.
KUSHATA KWENYU
zvakangoomawo hazvo kuchinjirwa zvinhu zvangatajaira aaaaah ndarwadziwa ini
Tazvijaira
Those prices are fucked up, compared to south africa , zim is goin down a road it will never recover from
You got a point dude
…a direct attack on our civil liberties by a government that is at war with its people
This is very un-interllectual and personally think it has another agenda altogether.
You have no business talking of consistent availability of internet provision when you are frustrating affordability.
who is the consumer anyway you are representing here saying you want to protect. Did you even consult any of them, i know i was asked for my opinion. This is unacceptable period.
No should just freely impose what they want on a business thats not theirs and on a consumer they are not funding.
# i know i wasn’t asked for my opinion
Ha Econet a customer’s opinion matters the most when it comes to all this
In this case this is bullshit
I pray you lose customers
Guys musadaro first ma Bond now this mukuda kuti toraramesei please dzoserai old system mari ikukushupa
Well, fellow folks, I am herefor those whi been sayin will switch to net1 telecel bla bla. There is a thing that’s called OLIGOPOLY EFFECT. The telecommunication industry is sn oligopoly industry…this is what happens, Iif one company changes the price the others do so to but to exactly the same as the dominant cmpany. They do that to avoid price wars n they knw that..so besides it being a POTRAZ’s thing to raise the prises..that’s what happens…my opinion, Let’s pray to God for our country for a lot has been chaoted.
will netone also be affected?
Masiwa why ??
Tongosiyana nazvo toenda zvedu kuTelone kwedu kwakatirera
its js easy w js use wiffi 20$ 10gb a mnth.wg s crazy to buy a bundke fr 50$???
econet is jst a victim but POTRAZ ndidzo mhata
Honestly i thot at this point and time u would be reducing the tarrifs becoz of the economic condition we are in ., bt you are actually raising , this is somehow mind boggling and confusing…
Its actually telecel who started the changes on mega chat bundles please beguided
Fuck you strive and ur fukn network .. fuk ur mama too
That’s absolute bull crap, I wonder how many pple will buy those bundles.
true this is rubbish
well maone hama pakatoipisisa isu taifunga kuti tichaonawo 2017 yakanaka but like i said kune rimwe team… this is 2016 part 2 and tichamama lol
The way i see it,potraz puts conditions and regulations yes but if econet had pple at heart they would challenge them even in court.It is a pure sign of greediness and self enrichment without thinking abt the poor masses.econet has been making huge profits over the years whats wrong with giving us a sign of relief in these tough times….
ashamed of u guys
Econet, shame on you. Muri razor in the pocket
why communication in zimbaabwe always becoming very expensive, is it the available government?
People are suffering due to cash shortage in the country,& POTRAZ is trying to wipe wallets dry. With these type of smartphones we use today they wipe our bundles fast…$1 for 10Mb will just last for a few hours and then gone.Where will we get the money top-up almost everyday when there is cash shortage? How can i study since i depend on the internet?How can Zimbabweans connect with each other?What would be the need to top-up airtime then.
Im only 14 years old but i can tell that this is the most insane and pathetic decision ever made in this country!
#SwitchingToWIFI