Telecel, the second largest mobile network operator (by number of subscribers), has promised to roll out Internet data services on its network in time for the World Cup showcase. “We want to do it in a phased way so that the actual launch is hassle-free from a technical point”, revealed the Acting Managing Director Patras Mazibuko to the Business Connect, a weekly Zim business publication.
According to Mazibuko, Telecel will focus on GPRS and EDGE for now. Rumours about Telecel’s data services started the rounds last year in September and subscribers have kept their fingers crossed since then. No information has been provided yet on how they plan to bill subscribers for the services.
Telecel is playing catch-up to Econet Wireless who introduced data services last year but suspended the activation of new subscribers just a month after launch, citing an overwhelming response to the new services. Econet has since promised to resume activation of lines for data services following a nationwide network upgrade exercise to be completed within the next two months.
The coming on of Telecel into the data services race will give consumers an alternative to Econet, and competition in this industry is a much needed driver for better services, a plus to the consumers.
With all the buzz about 3G, GPRS and EDGE, it’s important for people to know what they’re paying for and what they should expect to get. We’ll try to shed some light on these data services in a future article.
Related posts:
