NetOne CEO: Phase 3 Of Infrastructure Project Backed By Chinese Loans Starting This Year

During Lazarus Muchenje’s recent interview with the Herald, the NetOne CEO was asked about how which projects the mobile network operator is working on under the Chinese loan facility.

The CEO said the loans are being used for network expansion with the first and second phases already complete and phase three commencing this year:

Phase 3 is what is starting this year. The scoping and the feasibility studies in terms of where the sites will be located is being finalised , then there will be a roadmap obviously but the implementation of these resources will be starting this year.
This project will be looking at existing infrastructure and what needs to be improved. There are some infrastructure that may require new radio equipment. Some effort will go towards infrastructure sharing with other telco partners.
We have an agreement with Econet for 150 sites each. We also have an agreement with Telecel and TelOne. So we can look at those sites to say if we want to put NetOne network on a Telecel site, is it a 2G site only which may need equipment for 3G network. So we look at which areas need upgrading. Then we also look at totally new sites because there are other areas that with no operators at and no network, they need to be catered for too.
Lazarus Muchenje

This means NetOne subscribers can expect their network to improve over the course of the year as the infrastructure mentioned by Muchenje starts getting laid down.

The infrastructure sharing will hopefully lessen the burden on MNOs who have found it extremely difficult to invest in new infrastructure with our economy as depressed as it is right now.