Maximising its optic fibre footprint in the region, Liquid Telecom launched the voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) calling service in Zimbabwe last week
Explaining the benefit of the service for consumers, managing director Wellington Makamure said that users can cut down their phone bills because all calls made by users to other numbers within the company's VoIP network will be free. He added that while the technology was not new, it was based on the company’s resilient network. “It was built on a self-healing cycle so that if there is a break on one part, the signal comes through on another part.” This network resilience should make for smooth connectivity for users.
Liquid Telecom will make money on this service on calls made to and from other phone networks. The VoIP system will cost users US$0.10 per minute for calls that require interconnectivity with other local networks.
The company’s VoIP service has been assigned 08677 as the prefix for its phone numbers. Its a non-geographic prefix in Zimbabwe and the service will also allow video conferencing.
Liquid Telecom is an Internet Service Provider (ISP) with more than 6,400 km of optic fibre network in Zimbabwe, on which it has invested more than US$150mn since 2010. The company provides fibre optic, satellite and international carrier services to African mobile operators and ISPs. The company’s terrestrial fibre network spans more than 18,000 km through Botswana, DR Congo, Lesotho, Kenya, Rwanda, South Africa, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
