Liquid Boosts Fiber Home Speeds to 1Gbps

After years of customer grumbles and a growing sense of being left behind in the global broadband race, Liquid Home (formerly ZOL) has finally delivered a speed boost for its fiber internet packages. While details are still trickling in, two flagship packages, Family Entertainment and Infinity 169, are confirmed to receive significant upgrades, setting the tone for what could be a new chapter in Zimbabwe’s internet landscape.

The Family Entertainment package jumps from a respectable 100Mbps to a blazing 300Mbps, tripling its previous maximum and enabling users to stream, game, and download at a rapid 30MB per second. The Infinity 169 package takes things even further, leaping from 150Mbps to a staggering 1Gbps—a first for Liquid’s residential offerings in Zimbabwe. This marks a milestone moment, finally placing local users in the gigabit speed bracket long enjoyed in other parts of the world.

Yet, there’s a caveat. Liquid’s network has historically struggled to consistently deliver its advertised speeds. Users on the Infinity 99 package, for instance, often report achieving an average of 20Mbps on a connection marketed at 75Mbps. Whether the upgraded packages can meet their lofty promises remains an open question, one that will likely dominate user conversations as the rollout begins. We’ll be diving into a full review in the coming days to see if these upgrades hold up under real-world conditions.

It’s hard to overlook the timing of these changes. Zimbabwe’s internet sector has been in flux since Starlink’s entry earlier this year. While Starlink has hit capacity in Harare and surrounding areas, its presence has undoubtedly lit a fire under local ISPs, pushing them to rethink and refine their offerings. Liquid’s speed upgrades are almost certainly a response to the growing pressure to compete—not just on price but on performance.

Still, access remains a sticking point. Liquid Home’s fiber network has yet to reach many parts of Zimbabwe, leaving a sizable chunk of the population reliant on slower, less reliable alternatives. Rumors of an expanded rollout in 2024 are promising, but without concrete timelines, many users may feel left out of the excitement.

The increased speeds are a step forward, but they’re only part of the equation. Delivering on promised performance, expanding coverage, and maintaining competitive pricing will determine whether Liquid Home can fully capitalize on this moment. Zimbabweans have waited a long time for internet services that can match their aspirations. With Liquid Home’s latest move, we’re finally edging closer to that goal—though there’s still a lot of work to do.

For now, it’s an encouraging sign. The hope is that these upgrades signal the start of a broader shift toward reliable, high-speed internet for all. If competition continues to ramp up, Zimbabwean consumers could be the ultimate winners.