SAFARICOM SCRAPS NIGHT BUNDLES AND EXTENDS ECPIRY DATES

Safaricom has unveiled new data plans, responding to a
public outcry that revolved around the validity periods of
bundles especially those accumulated for use during off-
peak hours.

The telecommunications firm on Friday morning revised its
three plans – daily, weekly, and monthly and 90-day data
bundles, all being charged at cheaper rates.
The new tariffs, effective at midnight, will also see the telco
scrap the night bundles which were awarded upon purchase
of the normal data and only usable between 10pm and 6am.

“Our new data bundles will be available to Safaricom Pre-
pay and Post-pay subscribers and they will be able to
access mobile Internet service through buying data
bundles,” said Sylvia Mulinge, the director for consumer
business at Safaricom.
Under the daily plan, customers can purchase seven
megabytes for Sh5 to a maximum of 15MB for Sh50.

Previously the company’s lowest plan was 5MB for Sh5
with the maximum bundle being 100MB for Sh40.
The new weekly bundles will be 5MB at a shilling each
(current rate is 4MB for Sh5) to 130MB at Sh100 (the
current maximum bundle is 65MB at Sh50).
Monthly data plans have similarly been revised from the
prevailing minimum of 100MB for Sh100 to 50 gigabytes for
Sh6,750 to new rate of 350MB for Sh250 to 12GB at
Sh3,000.

The 90-day bundle will only be accessible through M-Pesa
and will not be available through rechargeable vouchers.
Subscribers reacted negatively to the prevailing tariffs when
they were first launched in February this year, complaining
about the ‘inadequate’ expiry dates affixed to their data.
The telecom firm in March responded and revised the expiry
periods upwards (to a maximum of 90 days), with no
chance of this data rolling over if they are not utilised by the
deadline.

Beginning tonight however Safaricom says customers will
be allowed to extend their data expiry dates further on
condition that they make a new purchase before the period
lapses.
Customers with accumulated night bundles will be allowed
to use them during the day on condition that they exhaust
them within six months.

“We listened to our subscribers and made the necessary
changes to the customer journey to allow them to continue
to enjoy the unparalleled data experience that only
Safaricom can provide,” said Ms Mulinge.