Competition among mobile service providers is expected to take a major twist following Orange’s launch of third generation (3G) services with speeds of up to 21Mbps. Just a day after Safaricom upgraded its base stations in various regions within Nairobi to offer 3G connection speed of up to 21Mbps, Orange must have been planning a checkmate move after they unveiled 3G services with similar speed in Kenya’s major towns; Nairobi, Kisumu and Mombasa. I must criticize Safaricom for their discriminatory approach of only targeting parts anticipated to be heavy consumers of their data services rather than targeting the entire town, Orange Telkom Kenya might just be the better option Kenyans have been waiting for.
On the other hand, Bharti Airtel Kenya has kept Kenyan’s second guessing as to when they will finally introduce 3G services; Orange’s official launch of third generation (3G) network, making it the second service provider to introduce 3G services might not work in favor of Airtel. In fact, there have been a lot of speculations after some of Airtel Kenya subscribers noticed 3G signals on their handsets in various parts of Nairobi, it seems they might just have to wait a little longer or engage Safaricom or Orange whichever pleases them. Immediately after the launch of Orange Kenya 3G network in Nairobi, Mombasa and Kisumu, analysts observed the company’s success could lie in its pricing structure which is expected to be the cheapest 3G service in the country.
During the launch, Orange also introduced its range of HD voice devices that will enable its subscribers to experience high definition voice calls on its network; this service will be the first of its kind in Kenya. In addition, Orange also unveiled various devices that will enhance high speed internet connection across all categories of its consumers; a 3G router will allow sharing of broadband internet connection at the same time via WiFi. In order for Orange subscribers to enjoy 3G services of up to 21Mbps, they’ll need to acquire a high speed internet modem retailing at Orange outlets at Kshs.6999.
Orange Telkom Kenya New 3G Data Bundle Prices
- Bundle: 50MB Price: Kshs.100
- Bundle:100MB Price: Kshs.150
- Bundle:500MB Price: Kshs.500
- Bundle:1GB Price: Kshs.750
- Bundle:5GB Price: Kshs.2750
- Bundle:10GB Price: Kshs.4990
- Bundle:15GB Price: Kshs.5990
- Bundle:20GB Price: Kshs.7990
- Out of Bundle Usage Price: Kshs.4 per MB
Orange 3G Modem (up to 21Mbps and parental control features) Price: Kshs.6999