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Zimbabwe’s Internet penetration rate reached 87.39% in the first quarter of 2026, marking a 2.84 percentage point increase from the 84.55% recorded in the previous quarter.
The latest Sector Performance Report published by the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ) shows that total active Internet and data subscriptions increased by 5.0% to reach 13,915,839.
This surge also elevated the national broadband penetration rate by 3.20 percentage points to 85.83%. The growth caps a continuous year-on-year trajectory, up from 76.19% recorded in Q1 2025.
The robust growth in Internet penetration is being propelled by several distinct factors one of them being the surge in Satellite Broadband Adoption. VSAT subscriptions registered a 28.98% growth, expanding from 67,057 to 86,488 active lines.
Credits goes to the likes of Starlink for driving this momentum, as satellite internet expands coverage in previously underserved areas.
Mobile Internet also remains the backbone of national connectivity, growing by 4.93% to reach nearly 13.5 million subscriptions.
Service providers significantly expanded high-capacity infrastructure during the quarter, deploying 161 new LTE and 13 new 5G base stations. Concurrently, the total national fibre backbone length grew by 33.83% to exceed 19,200 kilometers, substantially improving bandwidth availability and reach.
Preference for Flexible Wireless Solutions has also been a contributing factor. Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) continued to gain market share, rising to account for 58.65% of total fixed broadband subscriptions as consumers opt for hardware-light, adaptable broadband setups.
The report notes an ongoing shift in consumer behavior toward video streaming, social media platforms, and data-heavy applications such as TikTok, WhatsApp, YouTube, and Netflix, which continues to push smartphone adoption and data demand higher.
POTRAZ highlights that heightened competition between mobile network operators, satellite broadband providers, and fibre companies is creating market efficiency, spurring competitive pricing, and ultimately broadening digital inclusion across the nation.
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