Safaricom Unveils Mobile E-Mail Service

By Allan Rotich Posted 29 March 2006 @ 12:08 pm EET     Print     Reprint     E-Mail     Comments

Nairobi (IBTimes.com) - Mobile telephony firm Safaricom has unveiled a handset e-mail service enabling subscribers to access email and personal information instantly.

CEO Michael Joseph termed the introduction a milestone for the company. He said the launch comes at a time when Safaricom customers are yearning for more services.

"The convergence in telecommunication has brought about new trends in the industry. The launch of the Safaricom Pocket Office is, therefore, an important highlight in enabling business professionals to stay in touch with clients, partners and colleagues without having to be at the office," he said on Friday.

Users will make use of the General Pocket Radio Service (GPRS) technology introduced by Safaricom in 2004. Subscribers in Nairobi's city centre and the surrounding areas will also be able to use the service on Safaricom's EDGE technology - Enhanced Data for GSM Evolution - which is an advanced version of GPRS enabling greater capacity for data transmission.

The e-mail service will be provided at a flat rate of Sh2,500 per month which includes both software licence and unmetered usage for both email and web browsing.