Zimbabwe state owned mobile company, NetOne, now has 3.2 million subscribers and has rolled out chatter boxes to enable rural communities, particularly residents without mobile handsets, to access telecommunications services.

NetOne also runs a mobile money service, One Wallet - although this has now been overtaken by rival operator, Econet Wireless' EcoCash. The third mobile operator in Zimbabwe, Telecel, also runs its own mobile money service, Telecash.

John Nyashanu, spokesperson for NetOne, confirmed during a summit in Victoria Falls last week that NetOne's subscriber base has now increased to 3.2 million. It has now overtaken Telecel Zimbabwe which has around 2.5 million network users.

"We have grown to 3.2 million as we stand right now. This is a result of innovative ideas," said Nyashanu.

He also urged the greater business community in Zimbabwe and local companies to be innovative as a way of escaping the biting economic hardships that are hammering the Southern African country.

As an example, Nyashanu referred to the company's chatter boxes offering to help rural communities connect and access telecommunications services.

"We have provided chatter boxes at schools in rural areas for those without handsets. All you need is your NetOne sim-card. Imagine how many of our rural people do not have handsets," he added.

NetOne is also in the process of rolling out 4G connectivity services for its subscribers as mobile companies increasingly switch their focus to data.

This is being undertaken in a bid to broaden revenue streams away from the traditional voice category, which continues to show a slowdown in revenue margins because of competition from cheaper communication alternatives.