UNLIMITED DATA BUNDLES AND ‘VOLTE‘ CEMENT SMILE’S MARKET LEADERSHIP
(Posted 10th March 2016)
Smile Communications Uganda earlier today announced the introduction of two new groundbreaking 4G LTE innovations to its customers in Uganda – SmileVoice and SmileUnlimited.
Smile is the first operator in East Africa to offer its customers Voice over LTE services, giving them access to the fast growing latest Global standard for voice and video calling.
SmileVoice comes in two forms; using a world-first downloadable free mobile App that allows customers with Android and Apple iPhone devices the ability to make crystal clear voice calls over Smile’s 4G LTE network, or through the use of a VoLTE-capable handset plus a Smile SIM card.
SmileUnlimited offers customers 30 days of unlimited access to Smile’s SuperFast 4G LTE mobile broadband service.
Mrs Beatrice Kiraso, Chairperson, Smile Uganda said when addressing invited guests, Brand Ambassadors and the media: ‘Smile is the first mobile operator in East Africa to develop and introduce Voice over LTE, plus a world first to develop and introduce a free Voice over LTE mobile application that enables all our customers in Uganda, with Android and iPhone devices, to experience high-quality voice calls over Smile’s network. We are committed to improving the quality of voice and data services in Uganda, and with SmileVoice our customers can call anyone locally and internationally, just like on any other mobile. With our recently announced funding Smile has expanded its existing 4G LTE network in Uganda from 3 to 15 towns, and now provides 30-days of unlimited access to SuperFast mobile broadband – there is no other provider that is offering its customers such value and convenience‘.
Elaborating on the SmileUnlimited offering, Mr Steve Bannon, Country Manager Smile Uganda explained that any unlimited offering is subject to a fair usage policy (FUP) ostensibly to prevent excessive commercial use. Smile’s Usage Policy is very generous and ensures that connectivity will be maintained throughout the 30-day period.
Not only is Smile’s pricing more affordable than that of competitor narrowband offerings, but the superior quality of true broadband also makes SmileUnlimited a fitting application of Smile’s value proposition of speed, quality, reliability and simplicity.
The free SmileVoice App is a world-first, enabling customers that don’t have VoLTE-capable handsets the ability to make reliable Voice over LTE calls when connected to Smile’s mobile broadband. ‘In the Ugandan market Android powered smart phones are the leading handsets and together with the free SmileVoice App, we are ensuring that all our registered customers have a way to experience high-quality voice calls from their mobiles‘ said Steve.
To use SmileVoice, customers will be required to have a registered Smile SIM card and active SmileData service in line with legislative and regulatory requirements introduced in Uganda three years ago. When out of range of the Smile network, the SmileVoice App will enable calls from any device that is connected to the Internet via 3G or Wi-Fi at home or abroad though, as was pointed out, perhaps at lesser quality in particular when ISP’s still rely on Edge connections. Customers who make calls when travelling abroad will be charged their local call rates, as if they were calling from home, a further cost advantage Smile provides their clients with, saving them the often outrageous roaming charges.
