• This addresses a shift in market trends and serves to meet customer needs;
• Customers can also purchase specific pull-outs from the e-papers;
• The e-paper data rate has been zero-rated.

Nairobi, April 9, 2021: Telkom and the Standard Group have partnered to enable customers access the Group’s digital versions of their print content, conveniently and in real time, via their smartphones.

At the push of a button, Telkom customers can now read The Standard and The Nairobian e-papers. Each e-paper will cost KSh. 20, payable via Airtime. Also available are the daily newspaper pull-outs that one may opt for at KSh. 5 each. The partnership seeks to make content more conveniently and instantly accessible to news consumers, regardless of their physical location. The e-paper data rate has also been zero-rated.

Telkom’s CEO Mugo KIBATI says simplifying people’s news consumption, and at favourable price points, resonates with Telkom’s mission to provide the best value for a simpler life, efficient business and stronger communities.

“This partnership strengthens our proposition as a technology company of the future, one that is integrating technology to simplify content accessibility during this period, and as the country and the world continue to progressively digitise more aspects of every day life. This is the new normal and we are excited to be part of this universal journey, working with the media industry to help power their digitised content to consumers. Moreover, with customer trends shifting to contactless engagement, this initiative is timely.”

Standard Group CEO Orlando LYOMU says:

“We are excited to partner with Telkom to make our e-paper available to readers everywhere. Readers can now access an array of high quality journalism products from the Standard Group at the click of a button, at an affordable price.”

“This partnership allows readers to have a choice. They can select their favorite pull-out at a very affordable rate,” Mr Lyomu said, noting that this is what makes this partnership unique.  “It is convenient, offers more options for customers and is affordable,” he said.

To register for the service, customers will simply need to dial *550#, via their Telkom lines, buy their select e-paper by picking a Daily or Weekly option, or the pull-out of their choice, proceed to make the purchase and read via a link.

The proliferation of digital transformation in the publishing industry has been intensified by the pandemic, with sector players now diversifying their product and content offerings.

Mid-last year, Telkom announced a business restructure with a focus on the Digital and Consumer segments, reflective of the firm’s new strategic direction, as it gears to become a fully-fledged technology company.

Ends…/

About Telkom

Telkom connects the people that keeps Kenya on the move. It does this by providing integrated telecommunications solutions to individuals, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs), Government and large corporates in Kenya, drawing from a diverse solutions suite that includes voice, data/connectivity, digital financial services, as well as network services. Powered by its vast fibre optic infrastructure, it is also a major provider of wholesale carrier-to-carrier traffic, within the country and the region.

These services are primarily offered through our Service Delivery Units: Digital (that offers: Data Centre Services, Cloud, Managed Services, Connectivity, Broadband, Carrier-to-Carrier traffic, and Backbone Infrastructure); Consumer (that offers: Data, Voice, VAS, and Content) and Digital Financial Services (through our platform T-kash).

Telkom is also building on strong, consumer-centric ethos and is committed to providing innovative, accessible and refreshingly simple communications solutions that suit customers’ everyday communication needs.

Established as a telecommunications operator in April 1999, Telkom is 60 per cent owned by Helios Investment Partners, with the remaining stake held by Kenyans through the Government of Kenya.

Telkom has 4,152 km of its own terrestrial fibre cabling, serving as a key conduit for broadband connectivity, inland. Telkom Kenya also owns a 22.5% stake in TEAMS, a 5,000km undersea fibre optic cable through Fujairah, UAE, and a 10% stake in LION2, another 2,700km undersea fibre optic cable through Mauritius. It also owns a stake in the East African Submarine System Cable (EASSy) and manages the National Optic Fibre Backbone Infrastructure (NOFBI), on behalf of the Ministry of ICT, an inland fibre optic cable network running through Kenyan counties. Telkom is also the landing partner for the LION2, EASSy, and DARE 1 Cables.

Please visit www.telkom.co.ke to get to know more about Telkom.

About The Standard Group Plc

The Standard Group PLC is a multi-media organization with investments in media platforms spanning newspaper print operations, television and radio broadcasting, digital and online services, as well as events. The Standard Group is recognized as a leading multi-media house in Kenya with a key influence in matters of national and international interest. The Group’s media platforms are household names in Kenya and the Eastern Africa region, with wide reach. The platforms are two newspapers – The Standard and The Nairobian, four television channels – KTN Home, KTN News, KTN Farmers and BTV, three radio stations – Radio Maisha, Spice FM and Vybes Radio, online platforms – Standard Digital and Standard Digital Entertainment, and Events. The Standard Digital is the most read website in East and Central Africa. It currently has about 200,000 subscribers who have registered to receive regular newsletters from our seasoned journalists.

Please visit www.standardmedia.co.ke to get to know more about The Standard Group Plc.

For clarification, please contact:

George MLAGHUI | gmlaghui@telkom.co.ke | Follow Telkom on Twitter: @TelkomKenya

Mathew SHAHI: mshahi@standardmedia.co.ke | Support Desk: +254719012287