Melon Mobile, a mobile virtual network operator that piggybacks on MTN’s network, has become the latest South African telecommunications provider to effectively make voice calls free of charge.
The company said on Tuesday that it will offer unlimited calls and texts with an allocation of data for prices starting at just R199/month. The plans are similar to MTN’s SuperFlex tariff plans, which the operator introduced recently, but add several new options, including a 50GB/month plan (details in the table below).
“Each plan is structured to provide customers with the freedom to choose exactly what they need without worrying about hidden fees or running out of data when it matters most,” said Melon Mobile in a statement.
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The core of each plan is a data bundle ranging from 5GB to 50GB along with unlimited voice calls and texts. The table below shows Melon Mobile’s “Big Summer Breakup” tariff plans, which run until at least end-April 2024:
| Plan | Price | Additional benefits |
| 5GB | R199 | Unlimited voice and texts |
| 10GB | R299 | Unlimited voice and texts |
| 15GB | R399 | Unlimited voice and texts |
| 25GB | R499 | Unlimited voice and texts |
| 50GB | R599 | Unlimited voice and texts |
Being virtual, MVNOs like Melon Mobile do not own physical infrastructure and rely on network operators such as MTN and Cell C for infrastructure support.
Communications regulator Icasa required telecoms network operators such as Vodacom and MTN to launch MVNO “enablement” platforms as a condition of securing spectrum at 2022’s spectrum auction. — (c) 2023 NewsCentral Media