8ta lands iPad data deal
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4 February 2011
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Newcomer 8ta has leapfrogged its bigger competitors Vodacom, MTN and Cell C as the first South African mobile operator to offer an exclusive data bundle with the sale of Apple's popular tablet PC at local iStore outlets.
This is despite Vodacom and MTN's pre-existing distribution deals with Apple for the distribution of the iPhone in the country.
The two operators last week noted that neither had immediate plans to distribute the iPad but that its existing data offerings were on offer for use with the iPad 3G+WiFi models.
However, 8ta today announced it had landed a deal with Core Group, Apple's local distributor, to offer prepaid data bundles at a preferential rate that is exclusive to iStore sales of the device.
When questioned as to why the newcomer was selected over its bigger competitors, Core Group communications manager Taryn Hyam explained the deal was negotiate...
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