MTN-Irancell Scheme to Attract More Users

Iran’s second largest mobile operator, MTN-Irancell, has reduced the cost of phone calls for customers who move to the operator through the Mobile Number Portability scheme.

MNP allows subscribers to switch over to another operator while keeping their existing mobile phone number.

MTN-Irancell announced that all calls, including in and outside the network, as well as those to landlines, will be priced at 669 rials ($0.02) per minute, local technology website ICTNA reported.

This is while the normal rates for MTN-Irancell subscribers are more expensive, with in-network, out-of-network and landline calls costing 669 rials ($0.017), 929 rials ($0.025) and 799 rials ($0.21), respectively.

The new switching incentive is aimed at subscribers of Mobile Communications of Iran, which has seen a growing number of users move from MTN-Irancell to its network.

The MNP service was launched about two years ago to boost competiveness among local operators that had seen the number of new subscribers drop off in recent years.

According to the latest statistic released by the Communications Regulatory Authority, the industry’s ombudsman, partly-South Africa-owned MTN-Irancell has lost several thousand subscribers to MCI, with the third network RighTel following suit.  

The company has also offered several other incentives like giving free Internet data to permanent and prepaid SIM cards joining Irancell network and also to new Irancell SIM card buyers.