Johannesburg - South Africa's second-largest mobile network MTN Group (MTN) has announced that it is to introduce an MTN WOW WOW value bundle that effects between 37% and 50% discounts for pay as you go subscribers.
Unlike its rival Vodacom Group - which over the weekend announced a similar deal for its customers across the board at no extra charges - MTN's new and existing users should purchase specific starter packs in order to enjoy lower tariffs for services such as SMSs, voice calls and MMSs.
Between 17:00 and 20:00, weekdays, MTN users can enjoy a 50% discount for all on-network calls as well as for calls to landlines.
For Vodacom- and Cell C-bound calls the tariffs fall by 37%.
Vodacom's new tariff plan launched on Sunday will see an on-network call rate of R1.49 per minute for pre-paid and contract users - from 17:00 to 20:00.
The downside, however, is that its customers making Cell C- and MTN- destined calls will not enjoy these benefits.
With MTN WOW WOW, users will pay R1.65 for on-network and Telkom- bound calls and R2.28 for other networks. In addition MTN users will be able to send ten SMSs and five MMSs, per month, at no charge.
"MTN's key differentiator is that it offers inclusive value packages aimed at ensuring that users benefit when making calls both on the MTN network as well as calls to other networks," the listed operator said.
It also said it is committed to partnering with its user base by offering subscribers tailored packages that suit their lifestyle and their pockets.
Communications Users Association of South Africa spokesperson Ray Webber hailed the move to slash mobile prices as a "fantastic" one.
"We hope they are going to start competing vigorously and this is a step in the right direction," he added.
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) it's probably the best they could come up with. But it does go to show that it doesn't take months of planning and other kuk to drop prices... Telkom would most likely do a 6 month survey and then talk about it for 6 months before announcing the roll out for new prices to be staggered so as not to effect earnings anf then maybe drop their prices in another year or so....
