ZAMTEL has reduced its international call rates to high traffic destinations by more than 50 percent effective today, May 3, 2011.
The company has slashed call rates to destinations frequently called by most subscribers including India, China, the United States of America, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, South Africa and Tanzania.
Chief commercial officer Amon Jere says Zamtel has decided to pass on the reduction benefits directly to its customers in line with its company policy to provide affordable communication solutions.
“Effective tomorrow, May 3, 2011, our customers will be able to enjoy reduced international call rates to selected high traffic destinations by more than 50 percent.
“We have realised that communication has become a basic necessity, much like food and water; we are committed to providing affordable communication solutions that will enable Zambians to stay in touch and do business affordably,” Mr Jere said.
He said this in a statement released in Lusaka yesterday.
Mr Jere cited the United Kingdom, where customers used to pay K58 per second, but will now be paying K25 per second, representing 57 percent reduction.
“Let me give you another example, for calling India, customers used to pay K20 per second, but starting tomorrow, they will only be paying K9 per second, representing 55 percent reduction,” he said.
When calling China and the United States of America, customers used to pay K20 per second, but they will now enjoy 50 percent reduction by calling at K10 per second respectively.
And Zamtel has reduced its broadband internet services by between 20 to 34 percent with immediate effect.
In February, Zamtel reduced its internet bundle offer to make the service more affordable and help increase national internet penetration in Zambia.
Zambia is ranked amongst countries with the lowest internet penetration in sub-Saharan Africa currently estimated at below 10 percent.
The telecommunication giant slashed its internet modems from K230,000 to K130,000 in a quest to contribute to national development efforts through universal access to information and telecommunication technology.
[Zambia Daily Mail]
First of all well done, I am glad to hear about cheaper international phone rates as well as cheaper internet services. What about cheaper international calls to Australia? There are over 4000 Zambians living in Australia, especially in Perth (a census in 2006 said there was 4,082 Zambians living here but I am sure it has grown since then). I regularly call Zambia from Australia myself but my Zambian friends can rarely afford to call me.
I have a solution for your Zambian friends that will be cost effective for them to call Australia and for you to Zambia.
Drop me an email durai9 at hotmail.com
Well done Zamtel at least you are now supporting efforts to grow our economy by minimizing communication costs. Hope other service providers will follow your steps.
We Congratulate Zamtel on this major announcement and Congratulate RB’s government for the vision he has for this country. I hope the thankless puppets are able to see that under RB’s able leadership this country is moving in the right direction in all sectors of the economy.
It shouldnt be selective. Let the reduction be done on all international calls
I think these phone companies are always selective. from the UK to call Europe, USA, Canada, Australia, etc it is very cheap. But if you try calling Zambia from your mobile or telephone it is very expensive. I am not sure what formula they use to reach at this discriminating behaviour.
Kodi kuli vision yamene yiona chabe ngati ma elections yalipafupi? This has been long overdue. Zambia and Zimbabwe have the highest call rates in SADC. This negatively affects smallscale businessmen involved in cross-border trading.
Well done Amon Jere. But how will Zamtel raise your MONTHLY salary of 45000 USD and 40000 USD for Eve Banda if your tarrifs are so low? What about dollars for the CEO, CFO, CTO bla bla bla…
Amon are you that greedy mudala?
No wonder you are so big-headed. $45000/month (Tax free if i may add) ,cars, free fuel and servants and bills for at your house in New Kasama. That money has gotten to your head.
Don’t you dare mistreat Kennedy, Chris and Comfort or they will be the same ones who will ruin you.
The reductions should have been done for internal calls to benefit Zambians. reducing tarrifs for international calls to those countries only benefits foreigners at most
oh its per second l was almost estatic but then l realised it was per second and that is extortionate
Good development.
Don’t worry # 8, have you been to Zambia lately? In Zambia, there is a system of paging. Here is how it works: the person wanting to speak to you calls your number but cuts the call before you answer. Then you call back to complete whatever communication he/she wanted to deliver. That is why when you make a call back home, be clear of what you want to say and say it in under 5 seconds. No procrastination.
Way to go!but if they are calling it international what about other countries say France,Germany,Russia e.t.c We have family n friends we would love to contact there as well..
#1 and #4 you know very well that calling european countries from say Australia is almost free while calling Zambia on landline is thrice expensive,thats how it works .Well done Zamtel this move is long overdue.
We should be able to run ZAMTEL ourselves by owning it and streamlining its operations to ensure that it benefits Zambia as a whole. We must get back ZAMTEL. This reduction is a bribe by RB so that we can take our eyes off ZAMTEL while he struggles with other corruption matters.
when we come to power as pf , we shall abolish these cheap services. you shall also pay arrears for all the free services that you will enjoy. rb told you that when zamtel is privatised the international gateway will be liberalised and that will bring down prices, now you claim that he wants to bribe voters. our pf government will ensure that you hang for doubting rb’s good policies.
RB I love you speculations about Libya are over. We are free at last genious men have done their homework. Reduce the tariff at home, I have very few people to ring abroad. Please dont reduce the band width, the band is too slow for downloads
Ba Lusaka Times, in the story you quote the Zamtel source as Chief Commercial Officer and put a caption as Corporate Affairs Director. Which is which? Good job Zamtel keep it up. Now anyone can call family and friends abroad. Previously it was a preserve of the apa mwambas.