Safaricom to launch Internet Sambaza

MOBILE

Safaricom Limited will this weekend launch Internet Sambaza, described as ‘the first service in the market to enable customers to share data across devices including peer to peer transfers’. The new proposition is fashioned around the hugely popular and successful Airtime Sambaza, which was launched in 2005 to allow airtime transfer between Safaricom Pre-Pay and individual Post-Pay subscribers

Speaking about this new product Safaricom CEO Bob Collymore said, "Internet Sambaza is yet another first for Safaricom as we embark on the exciting journey of democratizing data and ushering in more users to the information age which is pushed through our mix of affordable connectivity and smart devices."

Internet Sambaza is designed to remove the barriers associated with the purchase of data bundles such as access to cash or a retail outlet effectively providing customers with a smoother internet experience with the intention of boosting internet uptake. Since Safaricom introduced 3G mobile broadband, Kenya has registered a 300% growth in the number of internet users. Statistics from the Communications Commission of Kenya indicate that Kenya has more than 13.5 million internet users, 8.4 million of whom access the internet through their data enabled mobile devices.

PrePay and PostPay customers will immediately be able to access this service by dialing *544# and selecting "Internet Sambaza", and following the subsequent prompts to enter the data bundle and the number you are sending to.