MOBILE telephone operator Econet Wireless will release more than 400 000 lines onto the local market before the end of the year, a move that will result in the company reaching the 1 million subscriber mark, an official has said.

Econet Wireless chief executive officer Mr Douglas Mboweni said the company was closing in on a million subscribers as over the past few months it had increased connected lines to its network from 654 000 to 870 000.

“Our attention is now on completing the next phase of expansion, which will take the company’s subscriber capacity to 1,3 million by the end of November this year,” Mr Mboweni said.

He said the programme to add the 400 000 lines before year-end had been boosted after international contractors resumed work on upgrading the system after a brief suspension during the March elections.
Mr Mboweni said Swedish telecom equipment manufacturer, Ericsson, was providing equipment to expand the core network, which is made up of the switching systems, intelligent network platforms, prepaid systems, as well as new base stations in Harare, Mashonaland and Manicaland.

ZTE of China was supplying radio base stations for the southern parts of the country, covering Bulawayo urban and its environs, Masvingo, Midlands and the Matabeleland provinces.
“The Chinese company will also build new sites in remote rural areas as well as along the national highways,” he said.

The release of more lines, said Mr Mboweni, would further broaden the company’s market share and consolidate its position as the largest mobile phone company in Zimbabwe.
Econet is this year celebrating 10 years since it was launched in 1998.

The company has grown and is now active in 15 countries across four continents.

When it was launched, the company started with only 10 000 subscribers but has grown to become the largest mobile service provider in the country.