In a move that is no longer a surprise to anyone who is familar with the Zimbabwean situation another ISP, TelOne has announced their latest price hike. Starting last Monday (1 June 2020), Telone customers who want to buy customer premise equipment (CPEs) that include things such as modems and their associated paraphernalia will be paying more.

What we found rather intriguing was not the hike itself however. It was the comparison between the USD prices and the corresponding Zimbabwean dollar (RTGS prices as they are called in common parlance) that yielded some rather strange gem. When setting their ZWL prices, TelOne used an astounding implied rate of $104.00 ZWL per one US dollar.

Currently the rate stands at around $73 ZWL per 1 USD. Officially the rate is fixed at $25 ZWL per 1 USD as per the dictates of our monetary masters who resides at the glass tower on Samora Machel Avenue. It’s not clear whether some special dispensation was obtained to do this or what loophole TelOne is using.

The new TelOne prices

CPE ItemOld Price (ZW$)New Price (ZW$)US$ PriceImplied Rate
ADSL Modem3 000520050104
FTTH Modem6 60011400110104
Wireless Router3 300572055104
Ka Band Kit63 0001092001050104
Telephone handset1 200208020104
Cordless handset2 700468045104
LTE indoor modem6 60011440110104
LTE Mi-Fi4 200728070104
LTE Sim Card101041104
ADSL Modem Insurance751301130
FTTH Modem insurance1983432171.5