Telkom is shaking up how mobile operators provide content to customers by offering zero-rated video and music streaming from select content partners for some of its FreeMe customers.
Telkom says this is a South African first which gives its customers access to on-demand movies, series, online video and music through certain online content providers.
The Telkom LIT Music offering provides music streaming for postpaid FreeMe 2GB and up customers, at no extra data cost, and LIT Video offers free streaming of movies, TV, videos and music for FreeMe 5GB and up customers. Both offerings will be available from 1 September.
Telkom also announced the imminent launch LIT TV, offering unlimited ADSL, fibre and LTE SmartBroadband customers the Telkom LIT TVC 100 media box which allows customers to transform their TV into a smart TV, with pre-loaded content channels from select content providers. LIT TV will be launched sometime in September.
This is the last piece of a strategic puzzle, after Telkom last year shook up the mobile market by launching its data-centric FreeMe offerings and last month unveiled a complete overhaul of its fixed-line product offering launching new Unlimited Home Internet and voice plans.
"We have already focused on disrupting the data market. Now, we are upping our game to provide our customers with a compelling proposition for all the data we've given them. Our LIT offer enables South Africans to access world-class, on demand, streaming content, without incurring additional data costs. We believe this is a game changer," Telkom consumer CEO Attila Vitai told journalists at a media event in Johannesburg today.
For LIT Video, Telkom has partnered with Showmax, Netflix, YouTube and Google Play. For LIT Music, Telkom has partnered with Google Play Music, Apple Music and Simfy Africa. Subscription costs for content providers will still need to be paid, but data will not be deducted from customer's FreeMe data bundles for the streaming services.
"Today marks the first step in Telkom's content offering. We already have more content partners in the pipeline and our ambitions in this space extend beyond today's significant announcement," concluded Vitai.
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