Customers
had
long
complained
that
large
portions
of
their
data
bundles
were
unusable,
as
they
could
only
be
accessed
during
off-peak
hours—often
when
most
people
were
asleep.
In
a
public
notice
issued
on
Tuesday,
17
March,
NetOne
confirmed
the
change,
saying:
“The
on-peak
and
off-peak
browsing
on
ALL
bundles
has
been
removed.
To
convert
your
airtime
into
a
bundle
of
your
choice,
simply
dial
*379#
and
enjoy
seamless
connectivity
on
your
terms.”
The
move
follows
interventions
by
the
Consumer
Council
of
Zimbabwe
(CCZ).
In
January
2026,
CCZ
Chief
Executive
Officer
Rosemary
Mpofu
wrote
to
NetOne,
highlighting
the
issue
after
receiving
numerous
complaints
from
customers.
Wrote
Mpofu:
“Charging
consumers
for
data
that
is
known
in
advance
to
be
largely
unusable
by
the
average
subscriber
raises
concerns
about
fairness,
transparency,
and
value
for
money,
and
risks
undermining
consumer
trust
and
confidence
in
the
telecommunications
sector.”
Last
month,
NetOne
revised
its
off-peak
data
hours,
moving
them
from
1
am–7
am
to
10
pm–5
am.
The
company
said
the
adjustment
was
part
of
ongoing
efforts
to
refine
its
data
products
for
customers
and
continuously
improve
service
delivery.
However,
less
than
a
month
later,
it
appears
the
mobile
network
operator
decided
the
changes
were
insufficient
and
has
now
removed
on-peak
and
off-peak
browsing
entirely.