Orange is expecting to put mobile internet within reach of millions. Orange revealed, at Mobile World Congress 2015 (MWC), the launch of a new digital offer across its African and Middle Eastern footprint.
According to Orange, it will be launching the “Orange Klif” digital package for under 40 USD. The package includes a smartphone, data, voice and text bundle. According to the company, this will set a new benchmark in price that will act as a major catalyst for smartphone and data adoption across the region.
At a media briefing, during the course of MWC, Yves Maitre, Executive Vice President of Connected Objects and Partnerships for Orange, stated that: “Although the smartphone revolution is well under way across the African continent, there remains a proportion of the population that so far has been under served, not just because of the cost of handsets, but because of concerns about data costs. By scooping up all the costs into one, incredibly priced digital offer, we hope that critical access to the mobile internet and all the opportunities that that opens up, will be within reach of many more people.”
Orange expects to make this possible with the 3G Firefox OS smartphone, which will be available across Egypt, Senegal, Tunisia, Cameroon, Botswana, Madagascar, Mali, The Ivory Coast, Jordan, Niger, Kenya, Mauritius and Vanuatu.
According to Yves Maitre: “The smartphone will also provide access to a range of content, including Star Africa, the Orange Football Club as well as partner services like Dailymotion, the video sharing service. All-important local content, for example, the popular sports portal, Ndamli, in Senegal and Anghami, a music catalogue service providing access to millions of Arabic and international songs will be readily available. Additionally, customers will have access to the burgeoning Firefox Marketplace, providing access to thousands of apps.
The device features a 3.5” HVGA screen and 2 megapixel camera. According to Orange the 1300mAh battery offers up to 810 hours of standby time. Ian Fogg, Senior Director Mobile & Telecoms at IHS Technology concluded the reveal by stating the following: “Smartphone prices are falling fast, but there are still large segments in Africa who find existing smartphone models too expensive. Mobile data adoption also has enormous room to grow, especially in markets across Africa, where to date most smartphones have been bought without a bundled data plan. There is a major opportunity for innovation to fill both of these market gaps.”
Darryl Linington
