Telkom Mobile to zero-rate academic content

Telkom has announced that it will zero-rate mobile data used to access academic content.

The network said the move, set to last until the end of the academic year, was meant to help students who couldn’t attend classes due to ongoing protests.

“Many institutions have had to make alternative plans to continue the academic year. Many universities have made lecture and study material available online while campuses are not able to be accessed by students. This may result in further anxiety for students who may already be surviving on the smallest of stipends, and must now find additional funds to purchase the data needed to access the materials they require to continue their studies,” the company wrote in an emailed statement.

The network detailed the arrangement, which requires a SIM card from the company’s mobile network.

The move by Telkom means that students without data or airtime can access their educational material

“Telkom’s Reverse Bill URL service allows students using a Telkom mobile prepaid or postpaid SIM card to access content on a university website without paying for data consumption. Students accessing academic material via Telkom ISP will also benefit from free data as Telkom already zero rates this traffic,” the network elaborated.

The company said that under normal circumstances, the university would be billed for the mobile data usage.

“However, during this critical period, Telkom has taken a decision to waive the data consumption costs until the end of the academic year.”

The network said it was working with academic institutions across the country to implement the initiative.