Telkom set to offer ondemand video

TELKOM will offer customers on-demand video streaming and music from next month, Telkom, 39 percent owned by the government, is introducing the new products in a rapidly changing market where rival mobile network operators are all competing to attract customers and maximize profits. Telkom is one of five main major companies that dominate South Africa’s wireless broadband market, including MTN and Vodacom, which controls about 70 percent of the market. Telkom Consumer Chief Executive Attila Vitai, speaking on the sidelines of the new product launch, said the company expects the new service to boost its mobile revenue. “This will act as a market stimulus and we’ll get more and more customers to FreeMe just to get this service. We think our revenues will rise,” Vitai said.Telkom LIT, which launched on Thursday will provide its FreeMe customers with a 2 Gigabyte and higher package with the ability to stream movies, television, videos and music on demand at no extra data cost. The company said it had partnered with Naspers’ Showmax, Netflix, YouTube and Google Play for LIT Video and Google Play Music, Apple Music and Simfy Africa for LIT Music. It will also launch LIT TV. The company is now focusing on growth . Responding to a question on the government’s plan to sell its Telkom stake, Vitai said that the company will accept the decision.

South Africa is considering selling its stake in Telkom to fund a 10 billion rand bailout of South African Airways. – Reuters