Telkom's mobile arm, 8ta, has introduced lower broadband rates for prepaid users through a limited 3GB data bundle offer.
It is offering a 3GB prepaid data bundle promotion at R149. It consists of 2GB anytime data and 1GB Midnight Surfer data for use between 12am and 5am.
“Users will basically be paying 5c per MB,” says the operator.
Managing executive of Telkom Mobile Amith Maharaj says 8ta responded to the need for an aggressively priced prepaid data bundle.
“This offer gives users the freedom to purchase an economically priced data bundle as and when needed, with no contract commitments or large upfront payments. It also provides contract subscribers from all networks with the ability to top-up their data usage for the remainder of the month.”
Separate SIMs
Participating Telkom Direct Stores, 8.ta flagship stores, Altech Auto Page and Nashua Mobile will activate the SIM for access to the new prepaid data promo rate plan immediately, according to 8ta.
It says for standard prepaid SIM cards purchased and RICAed at any other channels, the subscriber will need to contact the 8ta call centre on 081180 or 081183 to convert to the new prepaid data promo rate plan.
“Once subscribers have been provisioned for the prepaid data promo rate plan, they may load airtime onto their SIMs and then purchase the R149 bundle via USSD by dialling *180# on their handset or modem dashboard and then following the data bundle purchase menu prompts.”
The bundle is valid until the end of the next calendar month; for example, if a subscriber purchases a bundle on 1 September, the bundle will expire on 31 October. There is no limit to the number of prepaid data bundles a subscriber can purchase.
Existing prepaid per-second billing and per-minute billing users will be allowed to convert to the new prepaid data promo rate plan by calling the contact centre.
The prepaid data offer will only be offered on 8.ta's network and so the operator advises existing subscribers to get separate SIMs for this deal since there will be no MTN roaming.
“With this offer, the users will also receive a free e-mail account with free access to online Office Web applications, such as MS Word, Excel and PowerPoint, to store documents online without having to purchase a licence.”
The offer does not include a modem.
Market request
This follows the operator's unveiling of a limited offer in June that saw subscribers get 10GB per month for R199 on a postpaid contract.
Caroline Macharia, data portfolio manager at 8ta, says the latest offering arose after several queries by customers about a lower-end offering for prepaid.
“There's a certain section of the market that doesn't want a contract and doesn't want to pay a large upfront sum.”
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