In a move that is widely expected to kill the thriving black market for cellphones, Econet has released prepaid lines to the Zimbabwean market.
The expansion of the Econet network will make available 300 000 lines under a US$20 million project the company has undertaken over the past few months.
A spokesman says the waiting list on the company's books, which listed over 50 000 customers, is expected to be cleared by the end of next week. "We have already cleared-up most of the waiting list, and lines will be available through dealers and Econet shops from next week.
"We appeal to our customers to be patient. For technical reasons we will not be able to release all the 300 000 lines at once," he says. Econet has sufficient capacity to meet market demand, he says.
Meanwhile, the company warns customers not to buy lines on the black market at escalated prices. It urges customers to report to the police any dealers selling the Econet lines at prices above the official price.
The spokesman says Econet is putting in place measures to ensure that people who buy lines through shops and dealers will not be able to re-sell the lines bought. "This is to ensure people are not just buying lines for re-sale on the black market."
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