Zimbabwe’s internet and data traffic rose 57.28% year on year in the first quarter of 2026, according to figures from the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ). The increase points to a network carrying substantially more activity even as growth in mobile subscriptions remained comparatively modest.

Operators added 13 5G base stations during the quarter, taking the national total to 379. The new sites brought reported 5G population coverage to 18.94%, concentrated particularly in urban areas. Telecommunications companies also deployed 161 additional LTE sites.

More use per connection

POTRAZ attributed the growth in data traffic to network deployment, smartphone adoption and the expanding use of data-intensive applications. WhatsApp remained the most-used mobile internet platform, followed by YouTube, Facebook and X, while high-definition video and other streaming services also add to capacity demand.

These figures describe traffic, not necessarily a proportional increase in unique internet users. For operators, rising consumption can mean a need to increase capacity and improve backhaul, even where the number of subscribers is not growing at the same rate. That affects investment decisions around towers, fibre links and international bandwidth.

Coverage is only part of the experience

A 5G coverage figure does not guarantee that every user in a covered area has a compatible device, affordable service or consistent speeds. Quality also depends on congestion, backhaul, spectrum and the reliability of power at network sites. Those details determine whether faster networks translate into useful access for households and businesses.

The Q1 figures show a shift toward heavier digital use and ongoing infrastructure deployment. They also highlight the challenge for operators and regulators: keeping capacity growth, service quality and affordability in step as more everyday activity moves online.

Source: ITWeb Africa’s report citing POTRAZ.