Johannesburg, 15 Feb 1999
Vodacom subscribers can now roam on 100 international GSM cellular networks in 69 countries, following successful negotiations by the network operator.
"This means that Vodacom subscribers are now able to make and receive calls on their handsets while in 69 foreign countries. They are contactable on their existing cellphone numbers and pay for their calls in rands on their return to South Africa," said Joan Joffe, Vodacom's group executive - corporate affairs.
Many languages are spoken in these countries and subscribers who roam internationally never have to struggle to understand foreign telephone operators
Subscribers who intend roaming should notify their service providers two weeks prior to their departure so that international roaming can be enabled on their cellphones and international calls unbarred. "It is significantly cheaper to take your cellphone abroad than pay the inflated prices hotels charge for international telephone calls," said Ms Joffe.
Ms Joffe added that the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), the cellular standard used by Vodacom and 323 network operators worldwide, was used by 135 million people at the close of 1998.
The 69 countries where Vodacom subscribers may roam are: Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Estonia, Fiji, Finland, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Guernsey, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India - New Delhi, Indonesia, Ireland, Isle of Man, Israel & the Palestinian territories, Italy, Ivory Coast, Jersey, Kuwait, Lebanon, Lesotho, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macau, Malaysia, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Reunion, Romania, Russia (Moscow and St Petersburg), Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Singapore, Slovak Rep., Slovenia, Spain,Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Tanzania, Turkey, UAE, UK, Ukraine, USA (New York and Miami) and Zimbabwe.
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