Telkom has introduced Telkom Closer, a budget calling package that offers a rate of up to 30c per minute per call and the same rate for both local and national calls.
Wally Beelders, Telkom`s chief sales and marketing officer, says customers who subscribe to the package will be charged a flat rate per month for calls anywhere in the country.
Customers are offered three plans to choose from. Plan one offers long-distance and local rates of R1.40 per call, for a call that lasts up to an hour, during Callmore time (evenings and weekends). Standard call rates are also reduced to 68c per minute for local and national calls.
Plan two offers unlimited local and long-distance calls during Callmore time for a monthly R145. Subscribers are also offered a call rate of 68c per minute for local and long-distance calls at standard times.
Plan three offers unlimited local and long-distance calls during Callmore time up to one hour for R300 per month. Customers also receive 1 000 standard minutes per month.
The plan is available to all consumer postpaid and ISDN customers, and is applicable for on-network calls. For international and off-network calls, normal rates apply, Beelders says.
Reshaping revenue
Beelders says the plan is intended to assist the fixed-line operator to increase value for customers and decrease churn. He says Telkom Closer not only offers reduced costs to customers, it can also compete with voice over Internet Protocol packages that are available in the marketplace.
He says the plan is also intended to reshape Telkom`s revenue streams by increasing its annuity income, which has to date been line rentals. He notes that operational systems are in place to accommodate the new package, with billing systems tested and customer care consultants ready to handle consumer queries.
Trials for the package began in December and so far, there are 20 800 subscribers on the plan.
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