Airtel introduces new unlimited talk packages

Airtel Rwanda has introduced unlimited call packages in which subscribers would only need to top up a certain amount of airtime to enjoy uninterrupted calls.Under the arrrangement, a subscriber will only need to top up Rwf300 to enjoy free on-net (Airtel to Airtel) calls the whole day, Rwf2,000 for a week and Rwf7,000 for a month.Airtel Rwanda head of marketing, Heritiana Randrianarison, said the package gives callers more freedom besides making calling more affordable to all Rwandans.“This is a radical shift from billing per minute or even per second. This new option can change our everyday lives,” he said.Randrianarison said the new package dubbed ‘unlimited way to communicate’ will bring into the market innovative ways to turn around the telecom industry by providing cheaper calling rates.“When you look at Rwanda’s impressive growth, the country has set high standards. We are committed to deliver the best quality network to connect all Rwandans,” he added.The company expects the package to help groups with low incomes such as the youth to enjoy their social life and put their productive ideas into action without having to spend a lot of money on communication. Randrianarison observed that with their wealth of ideas and innovation, the youth are set to be the drivers of economic growth in future.“Sharing is a big part of their (youth) growth as entrepreneurs and innovators. Airtel says it is not about the minutes you talk anymore but giving you the possibility to get your message across.”In an interview with Business Times, Emmanuel Byamukama, a trader in Kabeza, a Kigali suburb said; “I use a lot of airtime while communicating to my suppliers. Sometimes they take long to understand what you are trying to explain. So it means with free calls, I have enough time to do business.”The move comes in the wake of stiff competition within the telecom sector that could trigger a reaction by the other two operators, MTN Rwanda and TIGO Rwanda.“I think this will set another pace in the industry where we will see clients determining what telecoms should offer not what telecoms think is good for us,” said Job Opar, a Kigali-based consumer protection consultant.