Econet Wireless has started offering video conferencing facilities to companies and parastatals that can afford the service.

In an interview after handing over 350 cellphone handsets and lines to junior parliamentarians in Harare on Wednesday, Econet chief executive officer Mr Douglas Mboweni said the only hindrance was the bandwidth, but now with the coming in of the fibre optic system the future looks very bright.

"We are no longer travelling to other countries in the region or internationally to hold strategic meetings for the company, we just sit in our boardroom and discuss business with colleagues in the United Kingdom and anywhere else using video conferencing.

"The infrastructure we have been putting in place all along has made this possible. Right now if any corporate comes to us and says that they want video conferencing facilities we can do it for them," he said.

Mr Mboweni added: "I have engineers ready to set up the facility anywhere in Zimbabwe. The cost depends on the specifications as required by the company and resources that we will use to set that up. We first inspect and come up with actual requirements, sometimes there is need for an uplink. It's going to be useful for companies that have branches scattered across the country or across the globe.

"We do not have to spend a lot of money on fuel, hotel bills and other expenses related to attending meetings. Now you just sit in your boardroom and talk business," he said.

Mr Mboweni also told Minister of Youth, Indigenisation and Empowerment Saviour Kasukuwere, who was guest of honour at the handover ceremony, that Econet was committed to the technological advancement of youth programmes as they are the future leaders.