Over the weekend, Econet Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) launched on trial to all Econet customers. The trial runs until end of December and for that period, subscribers will be able to send free unlimited MMS messages on the network. After the trial period, a single MMS will cost US 15 cents during peak periods and a cent less off-peak. All MMS messages will have a 1 megabyte limit.
MMS is a service that allows mobile subscribers to send each other pictures, sound and videos files using next to ordinary mobile phones. A subscriber with a supported mobile phone, which is about any mobile phone nowadays, is supposed to be able to send (impulsively) multimedia files they are capturing (or have received) to their friends on the network. Pictures and videos files, especially those that are humorous, tend to spread virally among subscribers when there’s an easy and intuitive (read SMS like) method to propagate them.
MMS has become a standard on most networks globally in the past couple of years and like its cousin SMS, has been used by operators to get more dollar for data from subscribers. The service hasn’t exactly been smooth sailing for mobile operators though with speed issues being a common problem.
And still, speed is not the problem to worry about in terms of adoption of the service. There’s also the issue that MMS has largely been leapfrogged by other technologies that are purely internet based and that conveniently bypass the mobile operator thereby being a lot cheaper. Econet Broadband Chief Commercial Officer, Leon de Fleuriot, pointed to this reality when we spoke to him last week.
There are many services out there that do multimedia messaging; from simple instant messaging applications, game changing convenient services like WhatsApp to social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter that do what MMS proposes and more at a lower cost to subscribers.
But nothing is predictable. Who knows the kind of mobile phones the bulk of Zimbabweans have and what their most nagging problems are with sharing multimedia files. Econet also has the opportunity to add on convenient services on top of the basic MMS to attract usage.
Are you going to give Econet’s MMS a try?
Comments
26 responses
jus sent my friend a photo lemme see if this works
it doesn’t
and how embarassing it is tht 3 yrs down the line afta launching the so called 3g econet didnt have an mms service…i thot mms ws part of 3g.
shows how econet takes us fo a ride
Hey anyone wanna post the manual settings for it here?
@twitter-9177462:disqus was coming in to ask the same question.
@techzim – I’ll definitely give it a go, but will think twice in Jan when it becomes 15c per MMS – and I’m assuming normal SMS credit won’t work for MMS – and so will probably revert to using 3G to email / tweet / pics.
Guys those that have nokias and g-tides post the MMS settings here…
so if i send a picture with about 500kb; will it take that same amount from my bundle?
After the trial period, a single SMS will cost US 15 cents during peak periods…
Is it SMS or MMS?
@twitter-9177462:disqus
create a new data connection with the apn “econet.mms”
just send a message to 222 with the words “all” for the settings
anyone tried sending with an iPhone?
Yes, I’ve tried all of the above options, but haven’t managed to activate it yet… Will ask Econet on FB
Yes and no it hasn’t worked for me yet. I have tried several times from the iphone4
It’s 2012 in a few weeks time and Econet have just started testing MMS?? It’s late for Econet, MMS is so 2003. Technology doesnt wait for Econet or anyone. The landscape has changed. Who needs expensive MMS when you have WhatsApp??
Mr Editor, please dont embarass us by sending articles with wrong gramma and spellings. We enjoy your work but such small things will affect our judgement on your work.
“Over the weekend, Econet Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) on trial to
all its customers. The trial runs until end of December and for that
period, subscribers will be able to and send free unlimited MMS messages
on the network. ”
SMS and MMS are also different so do not use them interchangeably.
thanx
eish, bad Monday morning. Thanks a mil pal. fixed
have tried, so far no luck in sending anything….
Is this article from to day or from 1999?
Its from 2011, and Actually its ANOTHER FIRST, FROM ECONET – IN ZIMBABWE.
sent an sms written ‘all’ to 222, got the settings within seconds, sent MMS 105K indicated it was sending then when it reached 105K it suddenly ‘failed’ – well maybe teething problems
rather use whatsaap far cheaper,easier and convnient.Sorry Econet lm not evn gon try ur trial period.WHATSSSSSAAAAAAAAPPPPP!!!!! is the king!!
got iphone 4s to send but cant recieve ??
Gary please post the settings you used for your iPhone here. Seems the Econet Zimbabwe FB page don’t have the settings either.