LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-Some scores of the country’s internet users on Saturday, July 25, 2020 slammed telecommunications provider, TNM for announcing that it has reduced data cost by 70 per cent when in fact internet charges remain exorbitantly high.
The internet users say what TNM has reduced is what is called ‘pay as you go,’ a facility a user uses direct airtime and not data bundle which most users use.
This follow the campaign underway, ” Data price must fall” campaign.
The reduction only applies to “pay as you go” and not bundles. The current charge per MB is around MWK25 and about MWK25, 000per 1 GB.
70% reduction would mean the price is about MWK6, 000/1GB if you are on pay as you go plan which is still higher than 1GB of a bundle and there are very few people who use Internet pay as you go.
Malawians should not be excited as TNM has just repackaged the stuff and played with customers minds
TNM chief executive officer Michiel Buitelaar made the announcement on Friday night, July 24, 2020 in the capital Lilongwe during the launch of the new 4G smartphone.
But minister of Information Gospel Kadzako was cautious, saying he would comment after listening to reactions of the users themselves.
“We represent the users, so, let me wait for their reactions first,” he said.
However, an expert in the field said the reduction of the ‘pay as you go’ has not brought down data charges in the country.
“On pay as you go, TNM charged K25/MB. This means when you are brousing in pay as you go, for IGB, you pay MK25,600.
“Now with a 70 per cent reduction means from K25 less, MK17.5 we will pay MK7.50. Now for 1 GB we now have to pay MK7,680. The same costs K2,500 on bundles,” he says.
Airtel chief executive officer Charles Kamoto said the company has listened carefully to the concerns on the high data costs in the country and will respond in due course.
Malawians have in the past weeks taken up in various social media platforms to demand the reduction of internet costs in what they have dubbed data bundle must fall.
They are demanding that internet providers; Airtel and TNM reduce the data charges on internet.
Kazako told Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (Macra) to engage mobile phone operators on the issue.
The minister observed that internet charges in Malawi are far much expensive compared to neighbouring countries such as Tanzania, Mozambique and Zambia.