Yesterday South Africa’s second national operator (SNO) Neotel launched its first consumer product; dubbed NeoConnect Prime. The new service includes a wireless desk phone and is bundled with voice calls, text messaging, an e-mail account and high speed internet with connectivity speeds of up to 2.4Mbps (although average speeds are between 300kbps and 700kbps). The company is offering five different packages ranging from an entry level offering of 2.5GB data service priced at ZAR399 (USD51.84) a month, up to an unlimited internet access offering at ZAR999 a month.
The new packages will compete head on with similar products being offered by cellular operators, such as mobile internet connect cards. The SNO’s services are currently accessible in selected areas of Johannesburg and Pretoria, and will soon be expanded to cover Cape Town and Durban, with further rollouts at Port Elizabeth, East London, Bloemfontein and Kimberley in the offing. Neotel Managing Director Ajay Pandey said the company was aiming for 50,000 to 60,000 customers for NeoConnect Prime over the next six to nine months.