GOVERNMENT has given state-owned telecoms firm TelOne an ambitious target to secure a quarter of the market share, as cut-throat competition intensifies in the sector. Zimbabwe’s telecoms industry is one of the silver linings on the country’s floundering economy.
Information Communication Technology minister Jenfan Muswere told delegates attending TelOne’s launch of the Highlands Clients Experience Centre that the plan to claw back market share is in line with the country’s economic blueprint.
“As the shareholder, we have very high expectations for you and it is my belief that once you fix the client experience issues, especially around quality of service and responsiveness, you will be able to deliver on the five targets that we have given you,” Muswere said.
“Our expectation is for you to secure 25% revenue market share, development of 10 new data-centric products and services, reduction in overheard expenses and infrastructure expansion and sharing. Specific to market share growth, I am sure your renewed focus on client experience will be helpful together with other key investments that are required.”
Speaking at the same event, Douglas Zimbango, the TelOne board chairperson, said the company would embark on an aggressive drive to grow market share. He said TelOne is currently seeking funding with a target to deploy 100 000 fibreto-the-home (FTTH) service lines in the next five years as well as 150 000 long-term evolution (LTE) lines in the next three years under the National Broadband Phase Two project.
“Our strategic thrust is to transform into a fully-fledged digital telco to create value and offer convenience to our clients through a business model that responds to emerging market needs and technological trends. As such, we have been on a transformation journey structured around four main pillars, namely technology transformation, client experience transformation, culture transformation and financial transformation,” he said.
“To see this dream come into fruition, we have embarked on several projects that include digital solutions for convenience enhancement, upgrading client service outlets and aligning staff culture to this trajectory. “It is therefore with much delight that I share our plans to roll out fibre network and LTE service which, besides countering network vandalism, will also improve service quality. To complement what we have already started here with the refreshing of the service centre and team, we will be prioritising Highlands for the technology upgrade such that the client experience transformation is comprehensive from all fronts. We believe that with this in place, we will be well-positioned to grow our market share, which we are targeting to reach 25% by end of next year.” — STAFF WRITER
