The equipment for Phase-III of NetOne‘s mobile broadband expansion has begun to arrive in Zimbabwe. The project is estimated to cost USD 71 million and will see the construction of over 260 new base stations.
It has also started receiving equipment for the MBB Phase-III, especially targeting the rural areas. This will enhance network coverage and ensure more areas can access services.
NetOne’s mobile broadband expansion has seen an update of 75 base stations from 2G to 3G, and another 60 to 4G. The MBB Phase-III project is a strategic cooperation initiative between China and Zimbabwe. The project’s technical partner will be Huawei.
The initiative aims to increase the operator’s national coverage from around 75 percent to 85 percent, improve 4G coverage, and see the debut of 5G to satisfy rising data demand. Phase-I of the NetOne expansion project began in 2011.