BY JAMES RATEMO
Leading mobile phone manufacturer has finally unveiled her first dual sim handsets for the global market.
In the global launch in Nairobi yesterday, Nokia also unveiled an eco-friendly bicycle charger to serve markets off the electricity grid, especially rural Africa and Asia.
In an interview with The Standard, Nokia Executive Vice President, Rick Simonson said Africa is emerging out as a strong market still being fuelled by new subscribers as compared to markets in the West.
“This is informed by the need for customers to utilise more than one sim card to benefit from tariff rates offered by different mobile operators…it will reduce the wear and tear by removing the need to change sims,” said Simonson.
Expected to retail at below Sh5000 the Nokia C1 and C2 dual sim series aims to satisfy a growing market for dual sim gadgets and fight the rising incidents of counterfeits.
Simonson revealed that most Nokia counterfeiters target top Nokia brands by including the dual sim feature to lure unsuspecting customers.
On the bicycle charger, Simonson said the innovation comes after years of research to determine the needs of masses in the emerging markets.
Eco-friendly charger
The charger comes with a holder, a converter and a mini generator to allow free and instant charging of a variety of Nokia gadgets as one rides the bicycle.
“The charger allows one to accumulate one hour talk time from 20 minutes of cycle time,” said Brad Brockaug, Nokia’s Head of Sales, Africa.
Brockhaug said new charger will especially offer a business opportunity for the mushrooming ‘bod-boda’ operators across Africa. It will also serve off-grid areas in an eco-friendly way since the charging doesn’t in involve electricity or batteries.
Nokia also announced plans to roll out a mobile Education programme for schools in Kenya before end of this year.
The programme will see Mobile operator Zain, offer air time for data delivery with Nokia offering the hardware, Longman Kenya offering the e-learning content and Kenya Institute of Education and Ministry of Information coordinating training of teachers and rollout of the programme.
Ministry of Information, PS, Bitange Ndemo and Nokia’s head of Corporate Social Investment, Middle East and Africa, Kulsoom Ally said talks are at advanced stages among the stakeholders to kick off the programme.
Working elsewhere
“The education programme has been working in Tanzania since 2000 and has also been implemented in Chile and Philippines. We want to replicate its success in Kenya,” said Ally.
