There have been a number of dial-up
e-mail service providers in Zimbabwe since 1990. In 1995, Data Control, a
local family-owned business, became the first Internet Service Provider (ISP) in Zimbabwe
as an affiliate of UUNET Internet Africa. Internet services have all been operating
unofficially due to the restriction on the resale of telecommunications by the Posts and
Telecommunications Corporation (PTC).
Last year, the PTC contracted
Global One to establish a large scale national and international Internet backbone with a
256 Kbps link to the US and points of presence in the four major cities. The service is
operated as a wholesale facility for resale by the private ISPs. Accounts on the system
are sold in block of 20 to each ISP, which then resells them to the end users. Since the
start of the service, the link was upgraded to 1Mbps, and then further upgraded to 2Mbps
took place in mid-1998 with the addition of a MB link to Teleglobe of Canada.
In addition to Data Control
which is the first and largest ISP with over 3,000 subscribers, 100 modems, a 168Kb
connection to backbone and a 100 megabyte/second switched network, thefastest in the
country, the following are the major ISPs operating in Zimbabwe:
- Samara offers a wide spectrum of Internet related services. These include single
user E-mail, single user access to the world wide web (www), and access to the web and
E-mail for corporate (multi-user) networks, both through dial-up and permanent
connections.The company has an important share in the market with 2,000 users, and its has
a 120 Kb connection to backbone. Through its subsidiary, Cybermedia,
Samara offers a complete range of services to create the web presence necessary for
proactive companies. PC Internet,
another subsidiary of Samara, is an E-mail only service provider in Harare, Zimbabwe. It
offers Internet specific training courses and Web access through its Internet cafe.
The Internet Cafe Prices are: ZW$50 for access to a computer for 30 minutes, and the
student rate is $ZW30 for 30 minutes. PC Internet provides 24 hour e-mail
access for all its users, with a direct link to the Internet via Samara Services. The
subscription cost for email is ZW$3750 per year. The one-time connection fee is ZW$750,
unless installation is done by the user or over the phone, in which case the fee is
ZW$450.
- InterData is the other
large ISP. It has over 1,500 users and is currently installing a 256 Kb pipe.
- Africa Online has offices in Zimababwe and in Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, Kenya,
Tanzania and Uganda. Africa Online has evolved its charter to provide leading-edge
Internet services to thousands of individuals and businesses. In Zimbabwe, the company has
a market share of 3,000 users , 300 dial-in modems and a 256 Kb link to the international
gateway.
- PrimeNet Communications is a new entrant in the Internet market as an Internet Service
Provider. The company has been operating since March 1997 and it anticipates entering
other areas of the telecommunications industry as opportunities arise. PrimeNet company
has a market share of 1,500 users and a 120 Kb connection to backbone.
- Icon Internet
is another ISP operating in Zimbabwe.
- Utande Internet
Services (Pvt.) Ltd. was
incorporated in early 1997 and began trading in July 1997. In September 1997 the company
entered into negotiations with Intersol (Pvt.) Ltd., one of Zimbabwe's
foremost Internet Service Providers and the sole Zimbabwean representative of CompuServe
International ("CSi"). With effect from 1 December 1997, the fixed assets, staff
and customer base of Intersol (Pvt) Ltd. were amalgamated with those of Utande. The
"new" Utande offers a wider variety of services to customers including corporate
e-mail solutions using Microsoft® Back Office, web design and web hosting, high speed 3x
OC3 (45 MB/per second data transfer each) connections (using Utande's offshore servers),
professional consulting and project management, and local access to CSi. Currently, Utande
has 250 individual and 1,000 corporate users, and it operates on a 64Kb connection..
- Zambezi Net is a Zimbabwean Internet
Service Provider offering a full range of Internet services. It utilises the PTC trunk
dialing system for Internet access with 64Kb connection, and its server, based in the USA,
is connected to the Internet via a high speed fiber-optic connection.
- Zimbabwe Online evolved from Exchange BBS, a
simple bulletin board providing users with email and international news conferences, to a
full fledged ISP in Zimbabwe. The company is currently planning to set-up Points of
Presence throughout Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe Online has a dedicated line connecting to a local
provider
- ZimbWeb Internet is part of an international group formed in 1995 and headed by a
graduate electronic engineer. ZimbWeb claims to have one of the most powerful server
arrays in Zimbabwe with access to a 1Mb satellite link terminating onto a 155Mb backbone
in the USA - totally bypassing PTC. The company provides a range of services: Satellite
and wireless links, remote and mobile access options, and dial-up services.
- ZimSurf is another private ISP operating a 64 Kb connection.
- Telco Internet Services is owned by a construction company called Telecontract and it has a
64 Kb connection on ZPTC backbone.
Internet
fees per month at most commercial ISPs
(where US$ 1.00 = Zim 38.1 as of May 1999)
| Once-off
connection fee |
Zim
$ 230 to 400 |
| Dial-up
service fee |
Zim
$ 850 to 1,350 |
| Single
user e-mail fee |
Zim
$ 250 to 350 |
The University
of Zimbabwe operates a 64 Kbps link and it is the Internet Service Provider for
academic institutions.
Other new companies have also
registered to become service providers: Citel, Government Telecom
Agency, Layout Zimbabwe, World Networking, Omni
Tech. and Bridgenet.
In addition to these ISPs, there
are also a number of e-mail providers:
- HealthNet Zimbabwe is based at the University
of Zimbabwe. The network operates on a non-profit cost
recovery basis; user fees are currently covered by a generous donation from DANIDA under
an agreement due for re-negotiation in August 1998. The contact person is Rob
Borland.
- MANGO
(Microcomputer Access for NGOs) is a voluntary organisation for Zimbabwean individuals and
organisations who wish to communicate by email. It is not intended to service commercial
organisations who need to communicate commercial material. Despite the recent emergence of
full Internet services, MANGO continues to operate as a low cost alternative for those
whose primary requirement is email. Email sysop@mango.zw
for further information.
- Zimbix: The
Computer Centre of the University of Zimbabwe has provided UUCP store and forward email
since 1993. The University is now directly connected on ZPTC backbone via a 64 Kbps leased
line. Email sysop@zimbix.uz.zw
- ESAnet Zimbabwe is
hosted on the same platform as Zimbix and offers the same services to over 100 academic
staff at University of Zimbabwe and academics from other institutions such as NUST, Solusi
University, College of Music, Arrupe Jesuit College and School of Social Work. It operates
on a non-profit cost-recover basis. The contact person is Rob Borland
Media Technology, a company specialising in web page design and Internet
site development, maintains the web page 'Da-Net' providing information about the current use of the Internet in Zimbabwe.
Internet host sites: 3,162
(2000)
Internet subscribers
(1999)
- Total: 10,000
- Subscribers per 10,000
inhabitants: 8.38
Internet Users (1999)
- Total: 20,000
- Users per 10,000 inhabitants: 17.35
Internet use by categories:
- Commercial:
- Academic:
- Research:
- NGO/UN/International:
- Government:
- Others:
Internet bandwidth (Kbps):
2,000
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