Econet has spent more than M100 million to build a completely new network that comes with an array of exciting features that are likely to enhance the customers’ communication experience.

The result is a network that is faster, efficient and smarter.

Malefetsane Tlelima, Econet’s Chief Technology and Information officer, describes the new network as a “game changer in terms of quality and additional services that bring convenience to customers”.

“We can safely say that we now have the fastest and most efficient network in the country. The numbers on internet speeds clearly attest to this,” Tlelima says.

“We have solved the issues of slow data, bubble noise and congestion. Dropped calls have been cleared and our call set up time is quicker.”

Since the major stage in the migration process was completed, customers are getting notifications on their data levels. Those alerts on data usage have helped customers manage their costs and avoid the likely dreaded out-of-bundle charges.

“We are helping our customers take control by telling them how much data they have used,” says Tlelima.

Perhaps the most exciting feature for customers is the one that informs them about the cost of every call.

Introduced this week, the service tells tell you how much a call has cost you.

Lebeko Sello, Econet’s acting Chief Commercial Officer, calls it “an instant bill that allows customers to immediately track the cost of their calls”.

“We are saying there will no longer be surprises. You know what you have just spent on a call. You now have the freedom to control what you use and how you use it,” Sello explains.

He says the beauty about this service is that it is coming at a time when Econet has also slashed the cost of voice calls from 6cents per second to 4 cents per second.

“So the convenience is coming with a much reduced cost on voice calls,” says Sello, adding that the price cut is in line with Econet’s plan to redouble efforts and pass on its savings to the customers.

Tlelima is calling on customers to inform the company if they have challenges connecting to the network.

“We are waiting for feedback because we might have some blind spots here and there. This is normal during every migration. The creation of a perfect network is an on-going process that requires constant interaction between the service provider and the customer,” Tlelima says.