Miss Connection With Telone
TelOne recently launched a new product which could potentially breathe new life, into the state-owned telecommunications company, TelOne Connect.
TelOne Connect is an innovative Voice Over Internet Protocol, VoIP app that allows subscribers to untether landline services and access them through the app, on mobile devices wherever they are.
This might not seem like a big deal when people already have mobile phones, but it helps to remember the humble roots of telecommunications such as TelOne which begun in the era of landline services and hand written sentiments of the posted kind. The Posts and Telecommunication Corporation PTC was founded in 1980 when the Postal Telecommunication Act was created. In 2000 PTC was unbundled into 3 entities ZimPost for postal services, NetOne for mobile networks and TelOne for fixed telecommunication.
TelOne grew to be the largest fixed line telecommunications provider, providing reliable and affordable services to people, homes, businesses, learning institutions and government. But with advances in tech, mobile devices and disruptive internet services, the fixed line telecommunication empire has grown into a kingdom of relics that should either evolve or go extinct.
TelOne currently offers the cheapest phone call rates and the cheapest internet packages. The majority of the current crop of subscribers are there for the revised internet packages, offering affordable uncapped packages with free calls. The Starlink Effect strikes again, forcing businesses to restructure their pricing models or risk losing their subscriber base.
Sometimes the month would end before I had finished using my free calls from TelOne because I couldnt find a single person who also had a landline, and I also know several people who use TelOne but they don’t have handsets just the Wifi modem plugged into the phone line…
Enter the Telone Connect App, with this you could carry your landline handset with you and enjoy the cheap rates offered by Telone directly from your mobile device, as long as you have an internet connection, of course.
I have been super excited to try this out ever since it was launched but I still havent had the pleasure. Its fast turning into a customer care nightmare which leads me to believe that they were not quite ready to officially launch this product and its not as seamless as they currently claim.
You would think all you have to do is download the app and connect… wrong, there’s a couple of other steps depending on whether or not you have an existing number.
How To Get TelOne Connect
If you already a subscriber first, you need to send an email with your details to clientservices@telone.co.zw to get your VoIP number and password. Oh! and that’s when you discover that if you opt into this service, your landline handset is no longer functional….
But hey, what if I wanted the option to use both…🤔
Well, they suggest that one could apply for a VoiP line, just like what a new subscriber would do… but about that, I have been on a waiting for an LTE line for almost 3 months no updates just crickets..
And don’t get me started on the TelOne Connect App… I still havent gotten round to finding a version that is compatible with my phone… I tried sideloading one from a similar phone and got all sorts of security warnings…
Today, I also got a call from TelOne customer care, asking me if I was having challenges with my broadband since my subscription has been expired for a long time… I didn’t have the heart to tell them I crossed over to satellite internet.
Becoming The Muse 
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