Econet Wireless launches Yu, promises cheaper calls

Five years after receiving a license to provide GSM (Global Service for Mobile Communications) services in Kenya, Econet Wireless has launched the Yu brand with a promise to change the existing pricing model.

The fourth mobile phone network in the country went live over the weekend and has priced cross-network calls at 7.50 Kenyan shillings, slashing 50 cents from Zain's 8 shillings offering.

Econet provides subscribers with reliable, efficient and affordable mobile phone services, and the company will launch tariffs that are sustainable in the long term, said Econet marketing director Ann Othoro.

Service will initially roll out in Nairobi, followed by Mombasa, and will be available nationwide by March.

Kenya's current mobile penetration level of 33 percent shows that there is potential for new entrants, Othoro said.

Econet has entered into a site-sharing agreement with Safaricom and Zain. It is also partnering with 150 mobile operators globally to offer roaming services.

The service will be operating under the 0750, 751 and 0752 prefix numbers and will mainly target youth through its soon-to-be-launched multimedia service.

Two weeks before the network went live, Econet embarked on an aggressive marketing campaign, allowing subscribers to reserve their preferred numbers on the company's Web site. By the time of the launch, Econet claimed 250,000 Yu subscribers.