MTN introduces free prepaid WAP over GPRS with MTNLoaded

As part of the process, MTN is also merging its existing Web Sites, including mtngroup.co.za, mtn.co.za and mtnice.co.za into one unified portal; www.mtn.co.za .

WAP access to MTNLoaded, available at www.mtn.co.za will be free for three months following launch and customers will only be charged for the items they buy. Furthermore, MTN bills all purchases conveniently to customers' phone accounts, therefore airtime is deducted according to purchases. For example, if a user has R60 airtime on their phone and download a game for R30, they will be left with R30 of airtime.

Music, sport, movies and love are part of our daily lives, and something we are sometimes deprived of, due to our busy schedules. MTNLoaded brings a lifestyle to our fingertips whenever we have a spare moment. More than just a portal, more than simply another download store, MTNLoaded extends our lives and interests onto our cell phones.

The services on MTNLoaded are organised by lifestyle rather than by technology and categorised according to people's interests: Music, Sport, Games, News & Information, Entertainment, Love & Life, Naughty, and Fun. Constantly fresh - services will be updated regularly - MTNLoaded is an indispensable tool for those who need to stay up-to-date and ahead of the pack.

Santie Botha, group executive director at MTN says, "2004 has been an exciting year for MTN. We celebrate 10 years of cellular freedom, and are also constantly delivering value added services to our customers. Over 90 percent of our customer base is prepaid, and therefore a critical market for MTN. MTNLoaded and its free prepaid WAP over GPRS offering is something that South African prepaid users have always wanted, and MTN is delighted to offer this service to our customers."

MTNLoaded has the widest range of mobile content and services in South Africa. The Music category alone contains news, reviews and videos, daily alerts for gigs in Joburg, Cape Town and Durban, the latest music chart hits, and a massive collection of wallpapers and logos of over 300 South African and International artists with more than 1000 ringtones of songs, from the 1960s to tracks not yet released.

MTNLoaded caters for all South Africans, whichever handsets they own. For example, if you own a low-end phone you can receive weather updates via SMS on your phone and if you own a high-end phone, you can receive weather images live on your phone. Every category contains SMS-based services and anyone can access MTNLoaded using interactive voice response (IVR) or SMS.

For those with more advanced handsets MTNLoaded offers services incorporating multimedia messaging (MMS), polyphonic ringtones, Java games and downloadable video clips. The full MTNLoaded catalogue is accessed via web or WAP where all content and services can be previewed and purchased. A printed catalogue is also available.