The search for reliable, fast, and genuinely unlimited internet in Zimbabwe is a journey fraught with peril. It is a path littered with broken promises, mysterious fair usage policies (FUPs), and frustratingly slow speeds. For months, our team at Zimpricecheck relied on Econet’s SmartBiz US$45 package for our work. It served us well until it did not. After consistently exceeding a seemingly secret 200GB data cap, our connection would be throttled into oblivion, rendering it unusable for our needs. You can read our full analysis of that experience here.

Just as our frustration reached its peak, a timely social media post from Dolphin Telecoms caught our eye. They were offering a promotion: sign up for their managed LTE service and receive a free router. This immediately piqued our interest. The single greatest barrier to switching internet service providers (ISPs) in Zimbabwe is often the initial hardware cost. A capable LTE router can set you back anywhere from US$50 to US$150. While some providers like Liquid Home and Econet allow you to bring your own device, many insist on their own equipment, effectively locking you in.

Dolphin’s offer seemed to eliminate this switching cost entirely. After more than a month of using their service, we are ready to share our detailed, analytical findings.

The Onboarding Process and The “Free” Router Deal

The proposition from Dolphin was straightforward. Pay the US$55 monthly subscription for their uncapped package, and they provide a free router. The catch? You must commit to this package for at least three consecutive months. During this period, you cannot downgrade to their smaller, capped packages (such as the 28GB for US$20 or 80GB for US$35 plans). If you fail to honour the monthly payments, the router must be returned or you will have to pay US$60 in lieu of this. After the three-month period, the device is effectively yours to keep.

For a heavy user like us, consuming close to 300GB per month, the inability to downgrade was not a concern. This deal represented a virtually zero-cost entry point to a new service, which we found very appealing.

Signing up was remarkably efficient. A quick search revealed their offices are conveniently located on Jason Moyo Avenue in Harare, a short walk from our own. Upon arrival, the sales team was ready with their pitch, but we had already done our homework and were prepared to sign up. The paperwork was minimal; a standard Know-Your-Customer (KYC) form and an agreement outlining the terms of the free router promotion. It is worth noting that this entire process can be completed via their WhatsApp chatbot, with only a visit to their office required for device collection. We paid using their Ecocash merchant code, and within ten minutes, we were walking out with a new router in hand.

The service is “managed,” which means the Cudy LTE router they provide comes pre-configured. These routers typically run on OpenWRT, a flexible operating system that allows Dolphin to apply specific configurations and remotely manage the device for troubleshooting. For the average user, this is convenient. For a power user, however, it means you cannot make advanced changes yourself. Simple tasks like changing the Wi-Fi network name (SSID) or password must be done by their team.

Performance: Speed, Latency and the MVNO Factor

Getting started is as simple as plugging the router into a power source. A front-facing LED light indicates its status: red while booting and searching for a signal, and a solid blue once a connection is established.

Dolphin’s package promises speeds of “up to 20 Mbps”. As seasoned observers of the Zimbabwean internet landscape, we were sceptical. Over a month of extensive usage and numerous speed tests, we can confirm we have never reached 20 Mbps. The typical speed we experienced outside the Harare Central Business District (CBD) hovered around a respectable 10 Mbps. Interestingly, reports from our community suggest that in smaller towns, much higher speeds are achievable, with one user consistently recording 50 Mbps in a town 180km from the capital.

This variance in speed points to a crucial aspect of Dolphin’s operations: they are a Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO). An MVNO does not own its own network infrastructure (like cell towers) but instead leases capacity from established Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) like Econet or Liquid Home. We strongly suspect Dolphin is leveraging Econet’s network. This theory is supported by our experience in our CBD office, where during peak hours (approximately 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM), speeds can plummet to as low as 300 Kbps. This is the exact same issue we faced with Econet’s SmartBiz in the exact same location, suggesting a congested base station is the likely culprit. It is not a uniquely Dolphin problem, but a reality of the underlying infrastructure they use.

On the positive side, the connection is generally very responsive, with pings consistently in the 45-55ms range. This is excellent for voice and video calls on platforms like Zoom and WhatsApp, which we found to be clear and stable.

The South African IP Address Mystery

During our technical analysis, we uncovered a significant quirk. All internet traffic on Dolphin’s network is routed through a data centre in South Africa, likely via a secure WireGuard VPN tunnel configured within the router. This means that to the wider internet, your digital location appears to be South Africa, not Zimbabwe.

This has several important implications:

• Location-Based Services: When signing up for new services like Gmail, the country field will default to South Africa and the telephone prefix to +27. You will need to change this manually.
• Security Alerts: Logging into existing accounts like Facebook or your bank may trigger security alerts, as it will appear you are accessing them from a foreign country.
• Currency Defaults: Google, online stores, and other services will often display prices in South African Rand (ZAR) instead of United States Dollars (USD).
• Payment and Service Blocks: The IP addresses assigned are “Data Centre IPs,” which are sometimes flagged by payment gateways and other sensitive services. We found that making online payments with a Zimbabwean bank card can be difficult, as the mismatch between your card’s country of issue and your IP address’s apparent location raises fraud flags. Furthermore, some services and spam filters may require you to solve CAPTCHAs more frequently.
• Streaming Services: To their credit, Dolphin has implemented clever workarounds for major streaming platforms. Netflix, Showmax, and DStv all correctly identify the region as South Africa and work flawlessly in Full HD. We experienced only one minor five-minute Netflix outage in a month, which was resolved by a simple router restart.

Support, Payments, and Other Considerations

Dolphin’s customer support is a strong point. They utilise a WhatsApp chatbot for initial queries, which can escalate to a human agent who will typically call you back within an hour. This rivals the high standard set by Liquid Home. However, their support seems to operate only during business hours. We experienced a brief outage during the Heroes’ Holiday and only received a response after the holiday had passed.

A major area for improvement is their payment system. While they accept Ecocash and bank transfers, payments are processed manually. You must send a proof of payment via WhatsApp and wait for someone in the billing department to reconcile it. The invoices they send contain a “Pay Now” button, but it is a non-functional relic of their accounting software. This manual process is inefficient and led to our account being temporarily suspended over a public holiday, despite having already paid. This is a stark contrast to the seamless, automated payment systems offered by competitors.

On coverage, the non-geo-locked nature of the service is a huge advantage. You can take your router anywhere in the country. The challenge is that not even Dolphin’s staff seem to have a definitive coverage map. The best advice is to sign up and test it. They offer a five-day money-back guarantee, so if there is no signal in your area, you can return the equipment for a full refund—a commendable, consumer-friendly policy.

Summary: Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Easy Onboarding: The sign-up process is fast and can be done mostly online.
• Excellent Return Policy: The five-day money-back guarantee removes the risk for new customers.
• Free Router Promotion: Eliminates the significant upfront hardware cost.
• Not Geo-locked: Use your connection anywhere you can get a signal.
• Generous FUP: The advertised fair usage policy is a massive 1.4 TB, which is effectively uncapped for almost all users.
• Good Speeds (Mostly): Generally faster and more stable than the throttled SmartBiz experience.
• Responsive Support: Knowledgeable and friendly support staff are available during business hours.

Cons:

• Outdated Router Power Supply: The router uses a 12V DC barrel jack instead of the modern USB Type-C standard, making it inconvenient to power with a standard power bank.
• Locked-Down Router: Inability to make even basic configuration changes yourself is limiting.
• No After-Hours Support: Support is unavailable on public holidays and weekends.
• Peak Hour Throttling: Speeds can become very slow in congested areas like the CBD during peak times.
• Manual Payment Processing: The payment system is archaic and can lead to unnecessary service interruptions.
• South African VPN: The routing through South Africa can cause issues with online payments and other geo-sensitive services.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: How much does Dolphin Telecoms’s uncapped LTE package cost?
A: The uncapped managed LTE package costs US$55 per month. They also offer capped packages starting from US$20 for 28GB.

Q2: Do I have to buy a router to use Dolphin Telecoms?
A: Not necessarily. If you sign up for their uncapped package promotion and commit to three months, you will receive a free router. Otherwise, you would need to purchase one from them.

Q3: Is the Dolphin Telecoms uncapped package truly unlimited?
A: For all practical purposes, yes. Their official Fair Usage Policy (FUP) is 1.4 Terabytes (1,400 GB) per month, which is far more than even very heavy users will consume.

Q4: Can I use my Dolphin Telecoms internet connection in different cities?
A: Yes. The service is not geo-locked, meaning you can take the router with you and use it anywhere in Zimbabwe where there is coverage.

Q5: How do I know if Dolphin Telecoms has network coverage in my area?
A: As Dolphin is an MVNO likely using the Econet network, it should work in most places with a strong Econet signal. The best way to be certain is to take advantage of their five-day money-back guarantee to test the service at your location.

Q6: Why do websites and apps think I am in South Africa when using Dolphin?
A: Dolphin routes all its internet traffic through a data centre in South Africa via a VPN. This causes your connection to appear to originate from South Africa to the rest of the internet.

Conclusion: Our Final Verdict

Dolphin Telecoms’s Managed LTE service emerges as a compelling and viable alternative, particularly for those fleeing the frustrations of providers like Econet SmartBiz. The combination of a free router, a genuinely high data cap, and a non-geo-locked service makes for a very attractive package at US$55. The performance is solid, the support is responsive, and the setup is effortless.

However, the service is not without its peculiarities. The mandatory routing through South Africa, the locked-down router, and the frustratingly manual payment system are significant drawbacks that users must be willing to accept.

Ultimately, Dolphin Telecoms offers a product that works well for its target audience: heavy data users who prioritise consistent throughput and freedom of movement over advanced customisation and seamless administrative processes. It is a solid, if slightly quirky, choice in the current Zimbabwean ISP market.