Ever looked at two things and gotten a sense that they are connected even when you have no evidence to back it up? I can’t help looking at Liquid’s latest promotion and concluding that Starlink has something to do with it.
Whatever motivated the promotion is not important though. What’s important is that it is here now. Liquid is calling it the “10 times the speed” promotion and here’s what you get.
Liquid is promising internet speeds that are 10 times faster than you normally get on selected Fibroniks packages. Here is what’s on offer:
| Package | Speed | Data | Gifted | Price (ZWL) |
| Fibronix Family Entertainment | Up to 20 Mbps | Unlimited | Up to 100 Mbps | $2,059,420 |
| Fibronix Modern Family | Up to 30 Mbps | Unlimited | Up to 150 Mbps | $2,808,300 |
| Fibronix Power Pack | Up to 50 Mbps | Unlimited | Up to 200 Mbps | $3,744,400 |
| Fibronix Turbo Pack | Up to 100 Mbps | Unlimited | Up to 250 Mbps | – |
| Fibronix Lite | Up to 10 Mbps | 40GB | Up to 50 Mbps | $87,725 |
| Fibronix Basic Essentials | Up to 10 Mbps | 50GB | Up to 50 Mbps | $118,431 |
| Fibronix Family Essentials | Up to 10 Mbps | 100GB | Up to 50 Mbps | $267,556 |
| Fibronix Come Alive | Up to 10 Mbps | 150GB | Up to 50 Mbps | $300,429 |
The keen-eyed among us would have noticed that it’s not quite 10 times the speed. It’s at most 5 times the speed. There is no shame in a 5 times boost to speeds, I am not quite sure why the marketing department decided to fib and call it “10 times.”
The promotion runs from today, the 1st of November until the 31st of January. I guess it’s meant to be a little carrot to make you subscribe during the holidays. All you have to do is subscribe to any of the listed packages and you will get the speeds. More of this, please.
You will get those speeds the moment you get a package. I tested it and I’m getting about 50 Mbps (I’m on the capped packages like the peasant that I am). My speed test history shows that I normally get around 10 Mbps.
One can only hope that this promotion is a sign that we could be seeing speed bumps in the future more permanently. We have established that it is fixed internet providers like Liquid that have the most to worry about when it comes to Starlink.
The satellite internet company offers speeds of at least 50 Mbps, with some users reporting consistently getting speeds in the 150 Mbps range. If Liquid cannot match Starlink’s $47 uncapped package, they can at least match or beat it on speeds. So, for Liquid’s sake, I hope it is speed bumps I see in the tea leaves.
What’s crazy about this all is how 5G is putting fixed internet speeds to shame. The fastest internet I ever experienced was on T-Mobile’s network in Detroit. I got download speeds of over 500 Mbps.
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22 comments
I guessed the same as you just did when i heard that starlink has come forward to the regulator. It showed that these service providers have the capacity to give what they are offering. Only that there will be no competition. $47 unlimited internet is very attractive so i think this is test drive…and one thing you didn’t give use the prices
When starlink gets licensed the market will chage… Look at coca-cola…when varun came coca-cola where forced to change in a very big way… So me too i expect that liquid will revise their package (prices) so not to lose customers..
Exactly. Competition is almost always good. The internet providers will have to tweak their product offerings to deal with Starlink.
They do have the capacity for the most part. I remember a conversation I had with one employee from one of these IAPs who told me that Zimbos don’t really need anything above 5Mbps. Most people’s usage does not extend beyond social media and so I kind of agree that most won’t really see any difference going from 10 to 50Mbps. So the IAPs have consciously not offered speeds that they could offer.
Now that Starlink could have speed as a selling point, they are now trying new stuff out.
Have updated the article with prices.
The good thing about Starlink is that even if POTRAZ is armtwisted not to licence it we will do the OpenView thing via the mountainous Manicaland crossing used by the Croc to flee Uncle Bob and have fast internet. Liquid’s offer is just a 90 day promo so what will we do after that period whereas Starlink is here for the long haul
Scroll sideways on the chart
The good thing about starlink is that.. when i am going to my rural areas i can pack my starlink in my back pack and be connected from wherever for just $47. So if starlink is to be licensed…for sure..ticha inerera
I can only imagine what it would be like getting that kind of internet in the ruralest of rural areas. Satellite internet opens so many doors.
Hopefully it’s a sign that they heard something interesting regarding SpaceX’s application. Regardless, it shows that they always had this capability in their back pocket. Zol customers, don’t forget after getting a small taste and hold liquids feet to the fire so they normalise this
Damn right it should have been like this all along. They were always capable. We have to make sure these new speeds are the standard. I believe the threat and especially the actual arrival of Starlink will help us get that.
Liquid Home is giving itself time to test things out and not commit permanently to anything. They will come around.
LMAO! 🤣🤣🤣 Why do you mention Starlink? It hasn’t been licensed in Zimbabwe yet! Seriously, this article would be so much without the “take that Starlink” BS. I mean, you can promote Liquid’s so-called “faster speeds” without dissing Starlink. We all know that Starlink offers satellite Internet. It’s product is completely different from what Liquid offers. Did Liquid pay you to write this article? 🤣🤣🤣😭
He mentioned it because it was part of his personal thought process. There had to be an impetus behind the promotion. Seeing as it’s not public knowledge beyond the standard retention and capture objectives of businesses around the world, StarLink is as good a guess as any. If a clearly marked speculation like that is too much for you to bear, I honestly don’t know what to tell you 🤷🏿
Stone Cold Steve Austin 😂 I think we’re not on the same page somewhere. I think Hezvo ☝🏾concisely explained why Starlink was mentioned.
The “take that Starlink” remark wasn’t to say this is a slam dunk on the yet-to-be-licensed satellite internet provider. It was a bit of sarcasm to say this is all likely in response to the threat that Starlink offers. Hardly something Liquid would pay me to say.
On Starlink offering something completely different from Liquid, I don’t think you could be more wrong. They are both offering internet access. One gets to people by wire and one via the air but make no mistake about it – it’s the same thing to the customer. The only considerations are price, reliability, robustness etc.
I see on the screenshot at bottom that the phone is an iPhone 14 and uses T-mobile 5G. Is T-mobile in Zimbabwe? Or you downloaded the screenshot from the Internet using Liquid’s faster speeds? 🤣
Read to understand, he said the fastest speed he ever came across was in Detroit using T Mobile he them put a screenshot as evidence for the 500Mbps
Oh, okay! I GET IT.
And here i am on Telone fibre with 1.7Mbps 😟😟😟😭😭😭😭 thats almost 30 times
LOL! 1.7 Mbps is very slow!
ZOL network is already congested and erratic now they trying to attract more customers and give more speeds! WAIT it will result in even worse than we have now!
Ok, but 2,059,420 ZWL per month for the lowest cost unlimited package?! How does that work?
Welcome to the exciting nonsense that’s called living in Zimbabwe! You are constantly gambling! (whether you want to or not)
ZWL2 million is that expensive (yes/no) but you mustn’t forget the rate! I don’t know what it’s going to at the end of the month I think we can all agree that the trend is down, but how far is the question. But! Remember that Potraz recently gave liquid permission to increase prices in the next four months (100%= November 50%= December 50%= February)
Now the gamble is. Will the rate will fall enough in next 4 months or will there be another next price increase after February?
There also many other permutations for example next increase how many days/months after February? % distribution of the increase. etc etc
So it really doesn’t matter what your church tells you about gambling in Zimbabwe you are going to gamble. It’s not a choice but a fact.
How does PORTRAZ/ government allow a situation where ISP are using exchange rates of over 16,000??? Look at the like for like conversion for example between adsl offerings is usd and ZWL at TELONE!
if that is the case then we should all use those rates!