Mozambique: Tmcel wants to ‘democratise’ access to the internet

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Mozambique: Tmcel wants to ‘democratise’ access to the internet

5:17 CAT | 12 Dec 2023

File photo: Domingo

Mozambican mobile operator Tmcel announced on Monday that it intends to “democratise” internet access, making it available – as from now – from just five meticais (€0.07) for prepaid customers and those with unlimited data packages.

“With these offers, Tmcel contributes, in a decisive way, to ensuring that all Mozambicans are always communicable and connected to the internet at the lowest prices on the market. This is a way of contributing to the digital inclusion of Mozambicans, as well as for the democratisation of internet access,” says Commercial Director Adil Ginabay, cited in a statement from the operator sent to Lusa.

State-owned operator Tmcel indicates that, with the newly adopted measure, customers “will now have access to the Internet without concerns as to the volume of data consumed or the limitation for predefined applications”, in which packages vary between five and 50 meticais (€0.07 to €0.70), “whereby the customer has access to all the content and applications they intend to use”.

The operator explains that this measure joins other “unlimited packages” made available in the meantime, including unlimited calls and text messages, and data traffic of up to 140 gigabytes per month.

In September, the chairman of Tmcel’s management committee, Mahomed Adamo Mussá, said in Maputo that the Mozambican state-owned telecommunications company was experiencing as “new rebirth”, as part of the revitalization of operations through to May 2024, budgeted at US$132 million (€123 million).

“The first two months were spent developing an 18-month plan to turn around the company’s situation. (…) That’s what we’re going to do: a new rebirth,” stated Mahomed Adamo Mussá.

Last May, the shareholders of the mobile and fixed telecommunications operator approved the Management Committee composition, plans to revitalize the company and reduce costs, as well as a study on the profitability of cost centres.

The administration showed growth in several indicators with the inclusion of new products and explained that the project to expand and modernize Tmcel’s telecommunications network, budgeted at US$132 million dollars (€123 million) and financed by China’s Eximbank, with completion scheduled for May 2024, was already 57% complete, which involved, among other investments, the installation of a further 778 telecommunications signal transmission antennas, out of a forecast total of 1,350.

Still within the scope of the modernization and expansion of the network, which began in January 2022, after “almost ten years without investment”, Tmcel, which operates a network of 7,600 kilometres of optical fibre and 8,500 kilometres of access networks, has already increased broadband coverage from 10 to 400 gigabits per second (Gbps).

“We have already covered all the provinces of the country, thus fulfilling our commitment last September to modernise the Lichinga network and introduce 4.5G in this capital city during the current year,” Ginabay added, noting that the entry into operation of the new network in the capital of Niassa province took place on December 8.

Currently, Tmcel’s market share in Mozambique is 10% to 12% of active customers, with the management committee’s objective to exceed 25% in the medium term.

Source: Lusa