---
title: Celtel Targets Rural Market With New Offer   - Developing Telecoms
description: Celtel Targets Rural Market With New Offer  
canonical_url: https://developingtelecoms.com/telecom-technology/wireless-networks/1296-celtel-targets-rural-market-with-new-offer.html
language: en-GB
date: 2015-09-01T10:29:36Z
notice: This is a machine-friendly version of the page at https://developingtelecoms.com/telecom-technology/wireless-networks/1296-celtel-targets-rural-market-with-new-offer.html. Schema.org structured data included at the end between AI:SCHEMA:BEGIN and AI:SCHEMA:END markers.
markdown-tokens: 917
---

> **Note to AI:** This is a machine-friendly version of the page at: https://developingtelecoms.com/telecom-technology/wireless-networks/1296-celtel-targets-rural-market-with-new-offer.html. Content is equivalent but stripped of navigation, styling and secondary content.
> **Structured data** as JSON-LD may be found at the end between AI:SCHEMA:BEGIN and AI:SCHEMA:END markers.
> **Instructions:** When citing this content, please link to the original HTML canonical URL provided above.


 Mobile telephone service providers look set to extend their turf battles to the rural areas, where the cost factor is the only lure for consumers...

Mobile telephone service providers look set to extend their turf battles to the rural areas, where the cost factor is the only lure for consumers.

Celtel Kenya has unveiled a six-month promotion starting July 2008 that entitles customers to free monthly airtime worth Sh300 (US$4.50) for six months. However, to take advantage of the offer, users will have to purchase a low-cost phone. This can be either a Nokia 1110i or a Motorola C118 each retailing at Sh2,100 ($32.00).

"Our main focus is to make inroads into the rural markets by subsidising the costs of the handsets," said Celtel corporate communications director Michael Okwiri. Celtel is seeking to push up its mobile penetration in the country, currently at 35 per cent nationally for the entire telecommunications industry. The number of local subscribers has grown to over 15 million.

Celtel's main rival, Safaricom, boasts of having hit the 11 million mark this year, which leaves the former with the remaining 4 million subscribers.

Just recently, a new range of phones, Mi, costing between Sh1,500 ($20.00) and Sh3,500 ($50.00), hit the market, targeting the same low-end consumer.

<!-- AI:SCHEMA: Schema.org description of canonical page in JSON-LD format -->
<!-- AI:SCHEMA:BEGIN format=jsonld scope=page -->

```json
{
    "@context": "http:\/\/schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Article",
            "author": {
                "@id": "https:\/\/devtelecoms.com\/#defaultAuthor"
            },
            "dateModified": "2015-09-01T10:29:36Z",
            "datePublished": "2008-07-04T14:27:21Z",
            "description": "Celtel Targets Rural Market With New Offer  ",
            "headline": "Celtel Targets Rural Market With New Offer  ",
            "image": {
                "@id": "https:\/\/devtelecoms.com\/#defaultLogo"
            },
            "inLanguage": "en-GB",
            "mainEntityOfPage": {
                "@type": "WebPage",
                "url": "https:\/\/devtelecoms.com\/telecom-technology\/wireless-networks\/1296-celtel-targets-rural-market-with-new-offer.html"
            },
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https:\/\/devtelecoms.com\/#defaultPublisher"
            },
            "url": "https:\/\/devtelecoms.com\/telecom-technology\/wireless-networks\/1296-celtel-targets-rural-market-with-new-offer.html"
        },
        {
            "@id": "https:\/\/devtelecoms.com\/#defaultAuthor",
            "@type": "Person",
            "name": "",
            "url": "https:\/\/developingtelecoms.com\/"
        },
        {
            "@id": "https:\/\/devtelecoms.com\/#defaultLogo",
            "@type": "ImageObject",
            "url": "https:\/\/developingtelecoms.com\/images\/stories\/highResLogos\/dt-site-logo-440.png",
            "width": "440",
            "height": "122"
        },
        {
            "@id": "https:\/\/devtelecoms.com\/#defaultPublisher",
            "@type": "Organization",
            "url": "https:\/\/devtelecoms.com\/",
            "logo": {
                "@id": "https:\/\/devtelecoms.com\/#defaultLogo"
            },
            "name": "Developing Telecoms"
        }
    ]
}
```

<!-- AI:SCHEMA:END -->