Are recent cuts in wholesale termination rates leading to lower calls prices? Cell C has effectively cut prepaid voice tariffs by launching its “Supa-Woza” promotion to customers on “all-day”, “per-second” and standard prepaid tariff plans which offers 50% bonus airtime if they recharge with R10 or more. However, the operator says it is a promotion only and will end of 31 July.

The move comes just over a month after termination rates — the fees Cell C pays other operators to carry calls onto their networks — were cut. They fell on 1 March from 73c/minute to 56c/minute as part of a process being managed by the Independent Communications Authority of SA.

Cell C explains that under the new promotion, if a customer recharges with R50, they will receive R75 worth of airtime to call any SA network. R150 will buy R225.

“There is no limit to the value recharged, so even if a customer loads R1 000 in a day, they will receive bonus airtime of R500, giving them R1 500 to call any network, any time,” Cell C explains in a statement.

There are a few catches, though. For example, the bonus airtime, which will be used before the recharged amount, must be consumed within seven days. The expiry date of the bonus minutes can be extended by another seven days if customers recharge again with R10 or more within the expiry window.

Also, Cell C customers using the 99c tariff plan that want to join the Supa-Woza promotion will first need to change to one of the eligible tariff plans.

Customers who were “Woza Wheneva” customers and received free Cell C-to-Cell C minutes when they recharged are automatically moved to Supa-Woza but must recharge with R10 or more to receive the bonus airtime. — (c) 2012 NewsCentral Media