Q8NRI.com

Kuwait: Mobile operator Zain Kuwait, that nation’s largest cellco, is launching prepaid “e-GO eeZee” mobile broadband services in an effort to woo subscribers away from landline dial-up service.

Redknee Inc.’s NGRC platform for data rating, charging and policy will allow the operator to manage its broadband resources by tracking customer usage in real-time and implementing tiered pricing packages.

Zain Kuwait launched its e-GO eeZee services to appeal to the different needs of the market segments but with the convenience, cost control and peace of mind of having a prepaid account. Through Zain’s e-GO eeZee Standard and e-GO eeZee Super offerings, Zain Kuwait’s mobile broadband customers have the option to decide on the quality of service they prefer, depending on their surfing needs, and the flexibility to adjust their spending needs so that they can contain their expenses or simply recharge their tariff using Zain’s eeZee recharge cards.

The popular promotions are encouraging Kuwaitis to abandon their landline dial-up connections in favor of mobile broadband connectivity — not only does it give users Internet connectivity anywhere, anytime, but the effort is increasing broadband penetration overall in a country where it is historically low. According to Business Monitor International, while the total broadband penetration rate currently remains low at 3.4 percent, in the past year the number of broadband subscribers grew by 20.5 percent and it expects to see strong growth in the next few years.

“Since the launch of our first 3G connectivity cards in 2006 our data services have gained in popularity with our youth, Arab expatriate and inbound roaming market segments,” said Khalid Al Omar, Zain Kuwait’s CEO. “By launching new flexible, tiered pricing plans, we are able to bring the benefits of mobile broadband in a manner that is attractive to new markets segments, such as the cost-conscious and light-usage customers, as we continue to concentrate on driving data revenue.”

Redknee’s NGRC rating, charging, and policy management solution for mobile data services is based on patented technology and allows carriers to launch new services like mobile broadband and mobile TV, and manage bandwidth while creating new revenue streams based on diverse pricing options for both prepaid and postpaid subscribers. Service providers can gain the flexibility to charge for these services in ways that work best for their subscribers, whether prepaid, postpaid, or a hybrid of both – and based on time or bandwidth consumed.

“Redknee continues to support the data growth for Zain by enabling the delivery of innovative data plans to help increase usage of high ARPU services and reduce the network complexity associated with service delivery models,” said Lucas Skoczkowski, Redknee’s CEO, in a statement. “This successful launch further reiterates the value of Redknee’s real-time monetization solutions by driving profitability, growth and market differentiation for our customers. At Redknee, we continue to invest in real-time monetization solutions to support the growth of mobile data and content for wireless subscribers around the world.”

Source