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Natasha Chamba, Business Reporter
THE Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (Potraz) has directed mobile network operators to increase focus on providing consumers with quality service experience by investing in new technological innovations.
In its Consumer Survey Report for 2018 launched last week, Potraz said all mobile network operators (MNOs) should monitor critical network parameters such as quality, call dropout frequency, network availability and voice quality experienced by their consumers.
“Considering the size of the consumer base for mobile services, it has become difficult for operators to fully satisfy consumers through channels such as toll-free services and service shops.
“Therefore, MNOs should invest in technological innovation to bring more convenience through self-help mechanisms,” reads part of the report.
The survey is the third by the regulator and seeks to realise the level of satisfaction by consumers of the telecommunications, courier and postal products in Zimbabwe every two years.
Potraz said usage of mobile telephone services on the market was high to levels of 93 percent among household consumers and 74 percent among corporate consumers.
The regulator said all MNOs, which include Econet Wireless Zimbabwe, NetOne and Telecel, were generally performing well on the network parameters.
“Internet and data services usage on the market grew significantly as 34 percent of household consumers were using internet and data services in 2018 compared to 29 percent recorded in the 2015 survey,” said Potraz.
The authority also said although internet and data services usage had grown significantly, there was a need for operators to improve network speeds and accessibility.
“There is also a need for special attention to household consumers since their satisfaction levels have declined significantly by 10 percent points,” it said.
According to the report, TelOne was the only player providing fixed telephone services although its usage on the market had declined as only two percent of household consumers claimed to be using fixed telephones in 2018 compared to 3,1 percent recorded in 2015 survey.
Potraz, however, urged TelOne to digitalise service touch points to bring convenience and accessibility for consumers.
— @queentauruszw
Bongani Ndlovu
Online Reporter