Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Zimbabwe's Econet Gets $60 Million Swedish Loan to Expand Network


(Reuters) - Zimbabwe's Econet Wireless (Econet) (ECO.ZI) has secured a $60 million loan from Swedish export credit agency EKN to expand telecommunications infrastructure, the mobile phone company announced on Wednesday.
Econet, Zimbabwe's largest telecommunications firm with over four million subscribers, has said it plans to spend $300 million on its network this year as it seeks to profit from low penetration levels in a country recovering from a decade-long economic crisis.
Zimbabwe's mobile phone penetration is around 40 percent, according to industry estimates.