NAIROBI, September 12 – Mobile services operator Zain has won an international business award for its ‘One Network’ service, which has scrapped roaming charges across 16 countries.
The wireless network infrastructure innovation award was presented at the Global Telecoms Business Awards in London.
The ground breaking ‘One Network’ service reduces the cost of making telephone calls by allowing customers to communicate freely across geographical borders and continents without roaming call surcharges and without having to pay to receive incoming calls wherever they travel in the 16 countries that currently participate in Zain’s One Network.
Zain Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Dr Saad Al Barrak said: “The GTB Innovation Award also honours those whose hard work has gone into the One Network initiative, which delivers on our promise to provide unique and innovative products and services for Zain customers.”
Originally launched in September 2006 in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, the service was extended to a further nine African countries Burkina Faso, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Malawi, Niger, Nigeria and Sudan.
Recently, it was introduced to Zain’s Middle East operations in Iraq, Bahrain, Jordan and Saudi Arabia meaning that up to 500 million people in Zain’s.
“The continual expansion of the ‘One Network’ will play a key role in Zain’s 2011 targets of attaining 150 million customers and being a top-ten global mobile operator,” said Dr Al Barrak.
The Zain brand is wholly owned by Mobile Telecommunications Company KSC, which is listed on the Kuwait Stock Exchange. The company had a market capitalization of over US$ 27.5 billion by end of June this year.
