Econet Unlimited Data: SmartBiz

Unlimited data has always been the holy grail for Zimbabwean internet users. The freedom to stream, browse, and work without worrying about hitting a data cap is something most mobile internet users have only dreamed about. While fixed internet providers like Liquid, Utande, and Powertel have offered unlimited plans for some time, mobile users were left out—until Econet decided to jump in with SmartBiz.

The SmartBiz bundle is Econet’s latest attempt to offer unlimited mobile internet at a somewhat reasonable price, though it comes with its fair share of caveats. There are four monthly package options to choose from:

- 5 Mbps: $45 USD with a 1 TB fair usage cap
- 10 Mbps: $87 USD with 1.2 TB  fair usage cap
- 20 Mbps: $167 USD with 1.3 TB  fair usage cap
- 50 Mbps: A whopping $417 USD with 1.5 TB  fair usage cap

SmartBiz launched earlier this year with prices that ranged from $70 USD for the lowest-tier package to $450 USD for the top-end 50 Mbps option. Initially marketed toward businesses, the recent price cuts signal Econet may be feeling the pressure from Starlink, which officially landed in Zimbabwe with far more competitive pricing. At $30 USD a month for 100 Mbps speeds, Starlink is hard to ignore.

In this light, Econet’s SmartBiz starts to look a little underwhelming. Even after the price cuts, it’s clear Econet needs to do more if they want to stand toe-to-toe with Starlink’s satellite service. The reality is, Econet’s SmartBiz pricing model doesn’t come close to Starlink’s, which makes it difficult to justify unless you’re already heavily invested in the Econet ecosystem.

It’s worth noting that Econet doesn’t market SmartBiz as a mobile internet solution for phones. Instead, it’s designed for use with routers, making it more of a fixed wireless service. You’ll need to purchase the line and a router from Econet stores, although reports have surfaced of users managing to bypass this by using the SmartBiz SIM cards in their phones. Econet doesn’t advertise or encourage this, and it’s unclear if it’s a viable long-term solution.

Buying the service isn’t exactly a walk in the park, either. You’ll need to present your ID at the point of sale, and while some stores allow you to purchase the line on its own, others seem to require you to buy the router as well.

Thankfully, Econet has simplified the payment process. Initially, the only way to renew your SmartBiz subscription was to physically visit an Econet store, but they’ve since rolled out a USSD payment option:

1. Dial *543#
2. Select “SmartBiz Subscription”
3. Pick your preferred package
4. Enter the SmartBiz number
5. Complete the payment using EcoCash

The convenience is appreciated, but the SmartBiz number you subscribing to needs to have Smartbiz activated, or you’ll encounter an error message.

The Speed Surge That Didn’t Last

For a brief moment, SmartBiz became the talk of the town. Users were reporting speeds well above what Econet had advertised—some clocking in at 50 to 100 Mbps instead of the promised 5 Mbps. Social media was flooded with speed test screenshots, and for a while, Econet was riding high on this unexpected windfall.

Then reality set in. Econet quickly throttled the speeds back to their official levels, and SmartBiz went from being the hero to the disappointment. Once the speeds dropped back to the advertised 5 Mbps, complaints began piling up. The service, once praised for offering higher-than-expected speeds, suddenly felt underwhelming.

It’s likely that Econet’s network couldn’t handle the initial surge, leading to congestion and forcing them to scale back. What could’ve been a significant win for the company ended up leaving a sour taste in users' mouths.

So, Is SmartBiz Still Worth It?

For basic browsing and streaming, a 5 Mbps connection is fine—if it’s stable. Unfortunately, many users have reported that since the throttling, the connection has become slow, unstable, and unreliable. I’ve got my hands on a SmartBiz line and will be running some tests later this week to see how it performs under real-world conditions.

One bright spot is that SmartBiz supports 5G where available, and the service works nationwide as long as you’re within range of Econet’s base stations. 

But compared to Starlink, SmartBiz still has a lot of ground to make up. For users who want mobility and can’t wait weeks for Starlink equipment to arrive, SmartBiz may still be an option, but it feels like Econet missed a major opportunity to solidify itself as the go-to provider for unlimited internet in Zimbabwe.

Stay tuned for my full SmartBiz speed test review.