At the end of last week, Safaricom announced its new data bundle structure. The structure saw some options and rates adjusted while others, like the popular 1GB data per day for Kshs 99 dubbed “Giga bundle”, scrapped.
Users of Safaricom’s premium Platinum service, for instance, are now getting more data for the same amount they have been paying. The same is almost replicated across the board. Additionally, most data bundles are now accompanied by free unlimited access to WhatsApp Messenger once subscribers exhaust the bundles they’d exhausted.
Under the new structure, Safaricom introduced a new 500MB data bundle that also included 500 SMS for the same amount that the Giga bundle went for. Of course, also with free unlimited WhatsApp. Effectively, this meant that the 1GB option had been discontinued.
It is the move to scrap off the Giga bundle that has had many complaining.
While Safaricom had earlier on noted that not many were using up the entire 1GB of data offered in the daily, with the average usage being less than two-thirds of the same, it turns out, heavy users had become hooked to the daily 1GB bundle which earlier on had taken the place of a similar popular offering under Safaricom’s Tunukiwa plan.
Like I noted in last week’s newsletter, even as Safaricom conducted final tests restoring the popular bundle, it was prudent that those among us who prefer all-round speed and reliability be given an option to continue doing so. Now, that is finally the case as the Giga bundle has now been restored and should be accessible to all through the *544# short code. The same is set to start reflecting in the Safaricom app soon.
It is worth noting that as of now, the Giga bundle is not accompanied by free WhatsApp as that remains a preserve of the 500MB + 500SMS bundle which remains live.
