Description

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Tel-One is Zimbabwe’s sole fixed telecommunication services provider providing Voice, Internet and Data services. We have a wide network distribution with infrastructure in almost every corner of this country and the network has grown to be the second largest fixed line network in the region after Telkom South Africa. Tel-One is a key player in the Zimbabwe Information Communication Technology (ICT) industry, whose network provides the main backbone network on which other players ride their services.

Internet Backbone Network
TelOne operates an internet hub in Harare that boasts of over 10 Gbp international bandwidth (and growing). The hub is multi-homed with direct connections via 3 different undersea cables, namely Eastern Africa Submarine Cable System (EASSy), West Africa Cable System (WACS) and SEACOM. Points of Presence (PoPs) located at all major urban centres in Zimbabwe along the highway from Mutare, Harare, Gweru, and Bulawayo to Victoria Falls from where access to the internet can be provided. They provide ADSL broadband and leased internet access. TelOne operates the national Domain Name Services (DNS) by administering the Country Code Top Level Domain (CCTLD), i.e., the ‘.zw’ and the organisational level domain ‘.org.zw’. The services are hosted on TelOne’s servers.
 

Backbone Transmission Network
Our countrywide transmission network interlinks our exchanges and carries calls across exchanges and to the world at large. This is the transport layer that interconnects cities and towns in Zimbabwe. The countrywide transmission backbone spans over 3000 km, using microwave radio, fibre optic and, in some cases, open wire systems. The bulk of the network is now digital, with a few links are still analogue
 

Access Network

This is the network that provides last mile connectivity from switches and the customer premises equipment (CPE) that interfaces the user and the telecommunications network. The main technologies employed are as follows:

•Optic fibre cable

•Copper cables (underground & overhead)

•Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) Wireless

•Point to point/multipoint radio systems

 

International Communications

TelOne is now migrating its principal international links to submarine cable. So far internet links are on satellite, terrestrial and submarine cable. International voice has been on terrestrial (neighbouring countries) and on satellite via Mazowe Earth Stations. The station has two antennas facing the Indian Ocean and Atlantic Ocean Intelsat satellites. Two international exchanges in Harare  and Gweru  act as the company’s gateways. To ensure guaranteed service uptime and sufficient redundancy is TelOne has invested in the West Indian Ocean Cable Company (WIOCC) which owns and operates the East Africa Submarine System (EASSy). It is through this investment that TelOne now boasts of the fastest, most reliable and affordable broadband internet access services in Zimbabwe. TelOne also gets broadband internet bandwidth through the West African Cable System (WACS) and SEACOM.