Mobile Companies to Resume Bonuses
By Sallieu S. Kanu
After a hiatus of about two years, mobile phone companies are set to resume bonuses and promotions. This will bring smiles to mobile phone customers as the bonuses and promotions usually take the burden of paying for some of these facilities.
This latest development comes in the aftermath of the introduction of 5G services by two of the major mobile network operators in the country – Orange and Africell. The benefits of 5G to customers cannot be overemphasized. 5G can help make businesses more efficient and give customers access to more information faster than before. It even allows for students to invigorate education by providing them with faster and swifter information upload on their phones.
These breakthroughs came as a result of the government of President Bio’s serious engagement with the mobile network operators (MNOs), with the shrewd leadership of Minister of Communications, Technology and Innovation Ms. Salima Bah and the Director General of NaTCA Mr. Amara Pedou Brewah.
A sensitive and caring President Bio, through his able lieutenants, urged the MNOs to improve on the quality of services to customers, while servicing their corporate social responsibilities.
After lengthy deliberations the mobile companies have agreed to reinstate bonuses and promotions. For a start free calls at night will resume while the operators will think of other offers for the public. They had also invested heavily in the purchase of 5G switches to improve quality.
Information reaching the media indicates that the government of President Julius Maada Bio also successfully held out with the MNOs for a slight increase in tariffs, way below what they had proposed. The MNOs pushed for a 120% increase in tariffs but government navigated its way round them and there will now be a minimal increase in billing of customers. This is to cushion the economic burden on MNOs after the resumption of the bonuses and promotions, and procurement of 5G switches, but also in consideration of customers. A marginal increase in voice calls but not to the level the MNOs wanted, and far less, almost negligible on data will come into effect soon.
This increase should have taken effect long ago but government held on to it, in order not to heap too much economic burden on the people.
With the increase in electricity tariffs and fuel prices, the overhead costs of mobile companies increased highly, but the government prevailed on them not to increase tariffs. But with the huge investments in 5G switches and reinstatement of bonuses, a marginal increase in billing was inevitable.
The increase is minimal and still makes our mobile tariffs very competitive.