The Sunday News
TELECOMMUNICATION companies face a new threat from popular mobile messaging service WhatsApp, which began rolling out voice calling to users in February this year.
Subscribers with WhatsApp bundles can now enjoy unlimited quality calls and the facility is already being used by more than 20 million people across the world, according to global estimates.
The number of subscribers is expected to balloon in the shortest time.
The facility is accessed by Android iOS users with version 2.11.508 of WhatsApp, which is the app’s latest version.
Although some local telecommunications companies said the coming of the new facility was not a threat, players in the sector across the world have stated they were beginning to feel the presence of new facility.
Responding to Sunday Business questions, Econet spokesperson Mr Rangarirai Mberi however said his company was not worried about the new communication facility.
“Econet does not see new technologies such as WhatsApp calling and others as a threat. We, in fact, see it as an opportunity to offer new possibilities for our customers,” said Mr Mberi.
He said the company was anticipating such new inventions.
“As we have stated before, this trend from traditional income streams such as voice is something that Econet had long anticipated. This is why we then took a strategic decision to invest in data services and many other innovative overlay services. It is a strategy that is already bearing fruit for the company and for our customers,” Mr Mberi said.
TelOne spokesperson Ms Rosemary Sande said she was not in a position to respond to the issue.
“I can’t comment now because I have not been given clearance to talk to you. So don’t quote us,” she said.
Airtime dealers in Bulawayo however are panicking that this might affect business which is supporting a large number of people
“This facility is going to affect our business because many people are going to opt for the WhatsApp voice calling facility because it’s free. Very few people are going to buy our airtime,” said Mr Samson Chinoza, an airtime dealer in Bulawayo.
However some subscribers said the new facility was going to lessen the burden of buying airtime.
“The new facility is exciting and I have been receiving and making calls to my relatives in the United Kingdom for free using this WhatsApp calling facility,” said Mr Tinashe Guzha from Sizinda in Bulawayo.
Reports say the new facility is already making telecommunication carriers count their losses.
Voice minutes on mobile, especially in North America and Western Europe, are already reportedly declining.
Experts say voice calling “has the potential to affect mobile voice revenues”.
Telecommunication companies argue they invest in building costly networks while Facebook-owned WhatsApp build apps that let users communicate for free.
The introduction of the WhatsApp voice calling facility comes hard on the heels of the loss of another revenue stream of text messages as people were now using the WhatsApp texts.
