Internet Service Providers Add Nearly 30,000 New Subscribers in Q4

Zimbabwe’s fixed internet service providers added nearly 30,000 new subscribers in the fourth quarter of 2025, signaling stronger demand for broadband services as households and businesses accelerated their shift to high-speed internet connectivity.

New figures from the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ) show fixed internet service providers grew their subscriber base by 8.25% in the fourth quarter, with total subscriptions rising from 359,472 in the third quarter to 389,146 in the fourth quarter.

The sharp increase marks one of the strongest quarterly gains for fixed internet providers and reflects growing demand for reliable broadband as consumers and businesses deepen their dependence on digital services.

POTRAZ data shows the broader internet and data market also expanded during the quarter, with active internet subscriptions rising 2.02% from 12,990,447 in the third quarter to 13,252,877 in the fourth quarter.

As a result, internet penetration increased from 82.87% to 84.55% while broadband penetration climbed from 80.58% to 82.63%.

The growth in fixed internet subscriptions was driven by strong uptake across high-speed broadband technologies, particularly VSAT and fibre.

VSAT subscriptions recorded the fastest growth, rising 31.62 percent from 50,949 in the third quarter to 67,057 in the fourth quarter, largely driven by rising adoption of satellite internet services.

Active fibre subscriptions also increased 7.42% to 86,225, while fixed LTE subscriptions rose 6.99% to 143,323.

POTRAZ said Starlink continued to drive growth in VSAT subscriptions, underscoring rising demand for satellite-based broadband in underserved and remote areas.

The subscriber gains translated into heavier network usage, with fixed internet traffic rising 8.86% from 440.89PB in the third quarter to 479.94PB in the fourth quarter.

Among internet access providers, Starlink Zimbabwe recorded the strongest traffic growth, surging 42.76% from 117.83PB to 168.21PB in the quarter under review, while TelOne posted a 35.01% increase in traffic and African Fibre Networks grew traffic by 32.25%.

The latest figures point to sustained momentum in Zimbabwe’s fixed internet market, with strong subscriber growth, rising broadband penetration and surging traffic reinforcing the sector’s shift toward data-led connectivity.