Telkom unveils new Internet modem as pricing war rages on

By James Ratemo

Telkom Kenya’s flagship brand Orange has unveiled a new high-speed broadband modem ahead of connection to an undersea fibre optic.

The modem branded, Internet Everywhere (IEW) 3G+, is set to provide users with the widest coverage in the country through a simple reliable and easy to use Internet connection. The modem will be useful to travellers and business executives who need to log into their company intranets wherever they are.

"The Orange IEW 3G+ offers speeds that are unprecedented among telecom providers, and we’re proud to be the first with a product that will change Internet standards in the country," Mr Jean-Michel Chanut, head of marketing and strategy said.

Internet Everywhere 3G + is one of the products Orange will use to rope in more subscribers after connection to the Teams cable system.

Subscriber base

The start-up kit for the prepaid modem is retailing at Sh3,990, inclusive of a 25 MB bundle.

Telkom’s launch comes on the heels of Safaricoms’ improved broadband modem after hooking up to Seacom undersea cable.

Despite the arrival of undersea cables, end users are yet to enjoy lower connectivity prices as operators insist on recouping initial investment and pay onward connection costs.

But, critics say this is baseless. They say prices should now reduce by between 20 and 30 per cent.