Telecommunications giant; Safaricom, has cut its internet data prices by 42 percent.
According to Business Daily Africa, the price cuts are in response to the increase in competition in Kenya’s telecommunications industry.
Safaricom’s South Africa based shareholder; Vodacom, also revealed in its recent filings that its Kenyan arm; Safaricom made the largest price cuts.
Safaricom is among the group of Vodacom associates and subsidiaries who reduced their data charges.
Vodacom’s subsidiaries in DR Congo, Lesotho, South Africa and Tanzania, lowered their data by 29.2 percent, 28.9 percent, 23.3 percent and 13.8 percent respectively.
The telecommunications company added that it anticipates further price cuts, which would come about as a result of a mix of regulatory and competitive pressures.
Vodacom in its report, stated that, “In the context of our commitment to drive digital inclusion, and given the tough consumer environment, we recognise the imperative to further lower data prices in some of our markets, while ensuring that this does not compromise our ability to make the investments in network and IT infrastructure needed to broaden service delivery and maintain high quality offerings”.
Safaricom which offers a broad range of data bundles including daily, weekly and monthly packages, a couple of which also come with limited voice and messaging services, has some of its data charges per MB at between 0.12 Kenyan Shillings and 0.2 Kenyan Shillings, matching or rivalling those offered by Airtel Kenya and Telkom Kenya, who both plan to merge their operations soon.
