Just over 50 percent of Zimbabweans are unhappy with the mobile internet performance offered by the country’s mobile network operators (MNOs).

A recent survey by TECHZIM in which a total of 939 responses were recorded shows that 50.1% of mobile internet users were “very unhappy” with the performance. Part of the TECHZIM report reads:

Internet Speed

Overall

• MNO distribution of respondents is: 68.3% Econet, 30% NetOne, and 1.7% Telecel
• 50.1% of respondents are very unhappy with their internet speed
• 2.4% of respondents are very happy with their internet speed
• The average download speed tested by respondents is 7.94Mbps
• The average upload speed tested by respondents is 4.91Mbps
• The highest-tested download speed is 202Mbps (Econet)
• The highest-tested upload speed is 36Mbps (Econet)
• 9.8% of respondents recorded a speed of 0Mbps after running a speed test/speed test failed to run because of a poor internet connection.

Econet Internet speed feedback

• Average download speed on Econet is 9.57Mbps
• Highest recorded download speed on Econet is 202Mbps
• 80.6% of Econet respondents are either unhappy or very unhappy with their internet speed
• 6.8% of Econet respondents are either happy or very happy with their internet speed

NetOne Internet speed feedback

• Average download speed on NetOne is 4.5Mbps
• Highest recorded download speed on NetOne is 50.04Mbps
• 82.6% of NetOne respondents are either unhappy or very unhappy with their internet speed
• 7.5% of NetOne respondents are either happy or very happy with their internet speed

Telecel Internet speed feedback

• Average download speed on Telecel is 8.04Mbps
• Highest recorded download speed on Telecel is 39.33Mbps
• 31.3% of Telecel respondents are either unhappy or very unhappy with their internet speed
• 50.1% of Telecel respondents are either happy or very happy with their internet speed

Internet Stability and Performance

Overall

• 49.2% of respondents report a very unstable internet connection
• 1.8% of respondents report a very stable internet connection
• Internet stability is very bad in the afternoon and very good in the evening

Econet Internet stability feedback

• 87.7% of Econet respondents are either unhappy or very unhappy with their internet stability
• 2.9% of Econet respondents are either happy or very happy with their internet stability

NetOne Internet stability feedback

• 86.9% of NetOne respondents are either unhappy or very unhappy with their internet stability
• 4.6% of NetOne respondents are either happy or very happy with their internet stability

Telecel Internet stability feedback

• 56.3% of Telecel respondents are either unhappy or very unhappy with their internet stability
• 31.3% of Telecel respondents are either happy or very happy with their internet stability

Zimbabwe’s telcos have not been spared by the country’s economic challenges and this has negatively impacted on their revenues and their ability to invest in infrastructure and network upgrades.