Econet partners with Ericsson to unveil 5G in Zimbabwe

Econet and Ericsson have announced a partnership to launch 5G in Harare, Zimbabwe, which will improve capacity and user experience through faster network speeds and responsive time.

This newly formed collaboration is in line with Ericsson’s #AfricaInMotion movement, which aims to empower a connected and sustainable Africa.

Ericsson will provide Econet with its most recent energy-efficient and high-performance Radio Access Network (RAN) and 5G Evolved Packet Core (EPC) solutions for 5G deployment in Harare. The solutions will increase Econet’s capacity and user experience by providing significantly faster network speeds that are up to ten times faster than 4G networks.

Econet’s consumer and business customers will benefit from the new and superfast fifth-generation broadband technology, which will provide services such as Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) for homes, small businesses, and schools, among other enterprises in Zimbabwe. This technology will also increase access to financial inclusion in both urban and rural Zimbabwe.

As 5G networks roll out in Zimbabwe, Ericsson’s common Network Functions Virtualisation Infrastructure (NFVI) platform aims to assist Econet in making a smooth transition from 3G and 4G networks.

“Collaborating with Ericsson to launch 5G in Zimbabwe is a significant step forward in our digital transformation journey.” As we roll out the network across the country, our goal remains to meet our customers’ needs with the most cutting-edge technology available. “We are confident that Ericsson’s industry-leading and energy-efficient 5G solutions will assist us in meeting that goal, as well as significantly improving our customer experience through reliable connectivity to our subscribers,” said Econet CEO Douglas Mboweni.

“We continue to strengthen our long-term partnership with Econet by bringing the most advanced technology from Ericsson to Zimbabwe.” 5G will play a critical role in accelerating the economy’s digitization, increasing financial inclusion, and stimulating next-generation innovation for the country’s consumers and businesses. With our commitment to improving the continent’s digital infrastructure, we look forward to accelerating Zimbabwe’s digital future with Econet and bringing the benefits to the entire continent, in line with the #AfricaInMotion campaign, which focuses on empowering a connected and sustainable Africa.” According to Todd Ashton, Vice President and Head of Ericsson South and East Africa.

With a partnership that spans more than two years, Ericsson remains committed to assisting Econet in building a strong digital infrastructure in Zimbabwe and driving digital transformation throughout the country.