Airtel unveils new prefixes in race to grow customers

Airtel Kenya CEO Prasanta Das Sarma. PHOTO | SALATON NJAU  

By KEVIN ROTICH
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Airtel Kenya is rolling out new mobile numbers bearing the new 01 prefix, as it races to grow its subscriber base in the increasingly competitive telecoms sector.

The move comes months after the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) introduced the new numbers.

The firm, which was offered three million of the new numbers, will be the first telco to roll out new prefix number series of 0100, 0101 and 0102 to customers.

Safaricom applied for and was allocated two million lines with the prefixes 0110 and 0111.

The move by the CA was necessitated by exhaustion of existing prefixes including 0722, 0723, 0733 and 0734.

New and existing Airtel customers will now be able to make a selection of their preferred numbers that are available at all Airtel customer service and SIM selling outlets throughout the country.

Airtel Kenya CEO Prasanta Das Sarma urged subscribers to take advantage and be the first ones to have access to the new numbers by registering with Airtel.

“We are glad to be the first telco to roll out the new prefix numbers and we urge Kenyans looking for new connections to visit any of our SIM selling outlets or Airtel shops and get their new numbers,” Mr Sarma said.