MTN slashes data costs

New pricing announced yesterday means the effective cost of data on the MTN network will be as low as 5c/MB, bringing it in line with some of the cheapest data products on the market.

MTN SA has announced an aggressive reduction on its Internet price plans to enable its contract and TopUp customers to connect online through the MTN network.

‚”A customer can now pay as little as 5.8 cents per megabyte on the MTN 2GB packages which, has been reduced from R389 to R119 (with a device) per month. A SIM-only contract without a device is even more cost-effective, at R99 per month or 4.8 cents per megabyte,‚” says Serame Taukobong, Chief Marketing Officer at MTN SA.

This brings it in line with promotional pricing from 8ta, which offers an effective 3c per MB on its 60GIG ANytime package. however, the latter requires an upfront purchase of 60GB data for R1800, and is not standard pricing.

MTN has also slashed the prices on its Internet bundles. Consumers can pay as little as R10 for a data bundle, redesigned to be used as an add-on to any of the existing MTN Anytime contracts.

The operator is also making the latest and cost-effective deals available to the market, including devices such as the Sharelink E5331 USB modem for only R89 per month with 500MB allocation per month.

‚”Our intention is to deliver a world-class Internet experience as well as quality services and products that meet the needs of our customers. Our contract customers are looking for a differentiated quality experience through lifestyle and value-based products and services,‚” continues Taukobong.

While the 2GB data offering has been successful, MTN recognises there are users who want to have access to more data in an affordable package. To this end, it will soon introduce three new data plans (3GB, 5GB, and 10GB) to address the growing data needs of customers in the digital age.

The introduction of Long-Term Evolution (LTE) at the end of last year means that, as high-bandwidth users migrate to LTE, it frees up additional capacity on the 3G network, resulting in a better experience for all customers. To further drive an enhanced network experience MTN has ongoing plans in place to continue migrating 2G users onto the 3G network devices.

MTN is initially targeting 30% of the sites that carry up to 80% of the network traffic. The roll out plan is to start with the dense urban areas and continue to roll-out LTE to urban, semi-urban, and other areas as and when the frequency spectrum becomes available.

‚”MTN customers are looking at convenience, saving money, and getting a quality experience. Ultimately, we want to provide our customers with a more holistic offering to better meet their lifestyle needs and requirements,‚” concludes Taukobong.

*