ZIMBABWE’S largest cellular mobile network, Econet Wireless, has slashed by 50% the cost of outgoing international calls, an official told our reporter on Monday.
Econet Wireless Chief Executive Officer, Douglas Mboweni, said the cuts were the largest ever undertaken by any operator, and Zimbabweans can now call destinations such as the UK and South Africa for as little as 24 cents per minute (US0.004 cents per second).
He said calls to South Africa would be much cheaper than what is charged by South African operators to call Zimbabwe.
Mboweni said the move by Econet to cut its international tariffs had been made possible by a drive by the company to improve efficiencies and make it easier for all Zimbabweans to enjoy the benefits of telecommunications irrespective of where they are in the world.
He said Econet was also able to make such big cuts because the contribution of international calls to the company’s overall income had fallen considerably over the years.
“During our initial growth phase, international calls contributed over 25% to turnover. Today, that contribution has fallen. International tariffs have been falling globally for a number of years, and that trend is likely to continue,” said Mboweni.
Mboweni said the tariff reviews had been ordered by the board of the company which wants customers to enjoy the best possible service.
“Last year our board told us to review tariffs and introduce per-second billing once we had completed most of the expansion. Our tariffs are now the cheapest not just in Zimbabwe, but they are now very competitive within the region,” he said.
Econet is Zimbabwe’s largest cellular network –
MERCY MUJURU in Harare, Zimbabwe
