Zain Limited has announced the expansion of the One Network platform with the admission of Sierra Leone to the borderless connection.

The admission of Sierra Leone to the One Network brings to 18 the total number of countries, spread over Africa and the Middle East, on the borderless platform. 

The One Network service which was first introduced in East Africa two years ago, is a borderless mobile phone network that allows all prepaid and post-paid Zain customers when travelling in the 18 countries to be treated as local customers allowing them to make calls and SMS at local rates and to receive calls and SMS free-of-charge.

One Network also enables them to top-up their mobile phones while travelling with locally purchased credit cards, which are widely available from more than one million sales outlets in any of the countries in which One Network is operational.

Zain Kenya Managing Director Mr. Rene Meza, said the process of bringing together all Zain operations under One Network was ongoing.

Elsewhere, Safaricom Mobile Company has developed several data communication products that are aimed at making its services affordable to customers.

According to Safaricom Corporate Manager Robert Kuria, undersea cables and other emerging services will reduce the cost of communication as transmission of messages and data will be faster than they are currently.

Speaking at an Eldoret Hotel during a sensitization seminar for stakeholders organized by the mobile phone company, Kuria said once fibre optic cables are spread in every part of the country, the company will reduce the cost of calling and other services it offers to its customers.

He added that the aim of the seminar was to inform the stakeholders of the new products and services offered by the company and teaching them how to empower the customer with the relevant information.

Kuria urged stakeholders to ensure that the products and services of the company are understood by customers for proper usage and benefit.

The seminar attracted participants from Cyber cafés, Kenya Power and Lighting Company and all wholesale and retail shop owners operating in Eldoret town.