Neotel's consumer offering 'compares'

Neotel is slowly introducing its consumer offering into the market, starting with its NeoConnect Prime 10G offering.

According to Maneesh Mittal, head of Neotel's consumer products and services, NeoConnect Prime 10G costs R599 per month including VAT. It provides consumers with 10GB of Internet access, 1 000 free minutes for on-network calls, 50 free on-net SMSes and an e-mail account. The offering is available to consumers in areas where Neotel has a footprint.

MyADSL founder Rudolph Muller says the offering compares well with Telkom Closer packages, which also offer combined voice and Internet services.

Telkom Closer packages provide consumers between 1GB and 3GB of data allocations, whereas NeoConnect Prime 10G gives consumers 10GB of data. Additionally, NeoConnect Prime 10G provides consumers with free SMSes, he says.

Both packages provide consumers with free minutes for on-net calls, he notes.

Mittal reveals the product has already been introduced to consumers in parts of Johannesburg and Pretoria.

Initial candidates include Neotel staff, participants in its consumer offering trial and individuals who asked Neotel to connect them as soon as the second national operator had a consumer offering in place, he says.

Mittal would not give the exact number of consumers that pre-booked its consumer offering, but says they add up to thousands.

Neotel has previously been criticised for dragging its heels with its consumer offering. Neotel will make a public announcement about its consumer offering in May and will introduce additional products at that stage, says Mittal.

Neotel says the R599 price for NeoConnect Prime 10G includes all monthly charges, such as device charges, service rental and Internet service provider costs. There are no installation or activation charges, says Mittal.

Out of bundle usage charges will be 7c per MB, on a per MB basis, with on-net SMSes charged at 10c and off-net SMSes at 35c, the company says.

Neotel charges 17c per minute for on-net local calls, with off-net local calls coming in at 34c per minute. All voice calls are billed on a per second basis, it says.

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