Harare – Leading telecommunications company NetOne on Friday extended its congratulations to the President of Zimbabwe, His Excellency Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa, following the launch of the country’s National Artificial Intelligence Strategy (2026–2030).

The strategy aims to transform key sectors such as agriculture, mining, and healthcare, along with other industries driving economic growth, as Zimbabwe works toward achieving its vision of becoming a middle-income society by 2030.

Arsenal’s title hopes were hanging by a thread. They desperately needed victories against Chelsea and Brighton to stay in the race with fierce rivals Manchester City. Every fan knew what was at stake, drop points, and the dream could slip away. The Chelsea game was a nail-biter. I remember sitting on the edge of my couch, phone in hand, heart pounding as Arsenal clung to a 2–1 lead, thanks to goals from William Saliba and Jurriën Timber. Every pass felt like a lifeline, every tackle a battle cry. When the final whistle blew, I let out a roar that startled my neighbors.

By Tongai Mwenje

Three day later, against Brighton, it was even tighter, a tense 1–0 grind that had me holding my breath until the referee signaled full time. Relief washed over me like a tidal wave. Arsenal had delivered.

For fans like me, those tense nights were not just about the scoreline, but about the experience of watching every pass, tackle, and goal unfold live on my mobile gadget. Thanks to NetOne’s Big Beautiful Bundles (BBB), I didn’t miss a single moment. For years, livestreaming football on mobile gadgets in Zimbabwe has been a gamble, buffering, dropped connections, pixelated screens. But this time, with NetOne’s Big Beautiful Bundles, the experience was flawless.

It felt like I was right there in the stadium. No buffering, no interruptions, just pure football.

Launched last year, NetOne’s Big Beautiful Bundles are designed for Zimbabwe’s growing digital economy. The BBB100 package I’m subscribed to, priced at $45, offers 100GB of data, 80GB for peak hours and 20GB for off-peak usage (1 AM to 7 AM). Valid for 30 days, it promises speeds of up to 15 Mbps. But in practice, I’ve seen much more, upload speeds of 46 Mbps and download speeds of 51.1 Mbps.

To put that into perspective, at 46 Mbps upload, you can livestream HD content without a hitch. For me, that means broadcasting football highlights to friends in real time or uploading large video files to the cloud in minutes. At 51.1 Mbps download, you can stream movies in 4K, download gigabytes of data in seconds, or, like me, watch Arsenal’s games without a single freeze-frame.

I remember the old days of nervously watching the loading wheel spin during a crucial penalty. Now, with BBB, I can stream every match smoothly, even on the go. During Arsenal’s last Champions League fixture against Bundesliga giants, Bayern Leverkusen, I watched the entire game on my phone while traveling, and the stream never faltered.

“My phone has become my stadium,” I joked to my brother. “I don’t just watch the game, I live it.”

Of course, football is just one part of the story. These speeds open doors for professionals and students alike: video conferencing feels natural, with no awkward freezes mid-sentence, cloud computing tasks run seamlessly, whether you’re backing up files or collaborating remotely and large file transfers—once a headache—are now effortless.

One university student I spoke to said, “I use NetOne’s BBB to download entire research archives overnight. By morning, everything is ready.” That’s the kind of productivity boost Zimbabwe’s digital economy needs.

NetOne’s Big Beautiful Bundles aren’t just about data, they’re about freedom. Freedom to work, to play, to connect, and to dream bigger. Whether you’re a football fanatic like me, a professional juggling deadline, or a student chasing knowledge, BBB offers the perfect balance of affordability and performance.

And for those with heavier demands, BBB150 and BBB200 scale up to even greater capacities, ensuring no one is left behind in the digital race.

For me, BBB100 has transformed my football nights into unforgettable experiences. It’s not just about watching my favorite team, Arsenal, it’s about watching without limits. NetOne has given Zimbabweans a bundle that truly lives up to its name.  

The UEFA Champions League returned with a blockbuster night of Round of 16 action, delivering late drama, ruthless displays, and a stunning upset.

Newcastle United 1–1 Barcelona

St. James’ Park witnessed late drama as Newcastle thought Harvey Barnes’ 86th-minute strike had secured a famous win, only for Barcelona’s teenage sensation Lamine Yamal to equalize from the penalty spot in the 96th minute. The draw leaves everything to play for in the second leg at Camp Nou.

Atalanta 1–6 Bayern Munich

Bayern Munich delivered a ruthless performance in Bergamo, dismantling Atalanta with a flurry of goals. Josip Stanišić opened the scoring in the 12th minute, followed by Michael Olise’s brace (22’, 64’), Serge Gnabry (25’), Nicolas Jackson (52’), and Jamal Musiala (67’). Mario Pašalić’s stoppage-time strike was little consolation for Atalanta, who face a daunting task in the return leg.

Atlético Madrid 5–2 Tottenham Hotspur

The Wanda Metropolitano erupted as Atlético Madrid overwhelmed Spurs with a blistering first-half display. Marcos Llorente (6’), Antoine Griezmann (14’), Julián Álvarez (15’, 55’), and Robin Le Normand (22’) all found the net. Tottenham responded through Pedro Porro (26’) and Dominic Solanke (76’), but Diego Simeone’s men take a commanding lead into London.

Galatasaray 1–0 Liverpool

In Istanbul, Galatasaray stunned Liverpool with an early strike from Mario Lemina in the 7th minute. The Turkish side held firm against relentless pressure, securing a narrow but crucial advantage heading into Anfield.