MTN Rwanda wants BlackBerry Prepaid
by The PocketBerry Team
Earlier this month, we talked about MTN over in Africa getting equipped with BlackBerry service. MTN’s mobile phone pre-paid clients will, by the end of next month be able to enjoy the benefits of the newly launched BlackBerry product.
Officials at the Nyarutarama MTN Head Offices have said that by March another product that befits those on the ‘pay-as-you go’ service would be launched for those who might wish to use BlackBerry smart phones.
Thembo Khumalo, the company’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), last month said that MTN had reached an estimated 1.2 million subscribers. However of these, 99 percent are on prepaid system, leaving a meager one percent for post-paid clients.
MTN Rwanda’s pre-paid subscribers are yet to benefit from the BlackBerry services. That is why now they are ready to launch prepaid BlackBerry service as it is most convenient for them. We saw Orange earlier getting prepaid BlackBerry service, so there is no reason to block this off in Africa. The company is targeting 1000 BlackBerry subscribers in 2009. MTN is said to have invested in excess of $5 million (Rwf2.8 billion) including a $1 million (Rwf557.6 million) guarantee with a Canadian wireles company called Research-In-Motion (RIM). The 3G enabled BlackBerry Curve 8320 costs Rwf430,000 while the BlackBerry Bold costs Rwf320,000. Individual subscribers pay monthly charges of Rwf30,000 and Rwf35,000 depending on the services one is connected to.
