Safaricom free 5GB offer locks out millions without smartphones

Safaricom customers purchasing the All in One Monthly Bundles will enjoy an additional  free 5 gigabytes for YouTube streaming valid for 30 days, in an offer that locks out millions of customers without smartphones.

Eligible customers get free 5 GB to stream YouTube, an enticing offer in an industry where bundles are still costly. The offer, which was launched today, will run to 5^th July 2019.

Kenyans are increasingly turning to video consumption on the internet, with music, comedy, news and sports emerging as the most popular online video content, but these content can be accessed only through smartphones. Feature phones, the majority gadgets used by low-income groups, support texting and calls and limited apps that have been optmised. In the current offer, they will be salivating as their counterparts with smartphones enjoy free YouTube streaming for a month.

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“To meet this need,” said Ms Sylvia Mulinge, Chief Customer Officer at Safaricom, “we are providing our customers with an additional free 5 GB of YouTube streaming that they can consume at any time of the day within a month. We also continue to expand our network across the country to ensure that Kenyans have access to strong, reliable and superfast 4G+ coverage wherever they may be.”

Safaricom has been expanding its network to meet growing data usage as the uptake of smartphones continues to explode in the country. On 3^rd May 2019, the company announced that it will double its 4G and 4G+ coverage by rolling out an extra 2,000 base stations across the country, including in more than 600 towns. This will bring the firm’s 4G and 4G+ base stations to about 5,000.

The All in One Monthly Bundles were launched in February 2019 as Safaricom moved to tailor its propositions to the smartphone era, where customers are increasingly looking for a single package that bundles all their communication needs (data, voice, SMS) at one, predictable price point. The bundles enable customers to call and text cross all networks at discounted prices.

Customers have the choice of customizing the bundles based on their needs and their budget with packages available at Ksh1,000, Ksh2,000, Ksh3,000, Ksh5,000 and Ksh10,000, all with a 30-day validity. Those without smartphones will have to watch their 5GB bundles waste away.

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