MTC has announced that starting from 10 September 2026 it will be discontinuing its free stand-alone SMS offering that one gets upon recharging.
This is part of MTC’s ongoing efforts to enhance network efficiency and introduce more value-driven communication solutions for customers.
The decision follows a steady shift in customer communication preferences, with increasing adoption of data-based messaging platforms such as WhatsApp, email, and other digital services.
“Our customers’ communication needs are evolving rapidly. As part of our commitment to delivering improved services and innovative products, we are realigning our offerings to focus more on affordable data solutions,” said Chief Marketing, Communication, and Sustainability Officer Tim Ekandjo.
Ekandjo highlighted that the shifting consumer needs is what informed business such as the mass adoption of Free Over-The-Top (OTT) Apps, overwhelming popularity of internet-based messaging apps (like WhatsApp, Telegram, and iMessage) provides consumers with free, media-rich, and globally accessible chat options via standard data or Wi-Fi.
Although the free SMS will be discontinued, Ekandjo said, “It is also worth noting that SMSs have continued to be embedded within our evolved bundle offerings. Customers on our popular Aweh bundles and the T49 service plan for Prepaid already receive generous SMS allocations as part of those packages.”
For Postpaid customers, Ekandjo said free SMSs remain included in the monthly Free Units allocation and Boost Bundles, ensuring continued access to SMS services where needed.
“As a result, this change will have no material impact on customers on these offerings and reflects a deliberate move to discontinue a standalone feature that has been overtaken by the richer, more relevant value provided by our current portfolio,” he stated.
Introduced in the early 2000’s on the MTC network, the free SMS were complimentary service bonus automatically loaded upon customer recharging, but over the years and with the advent of OTT having taken over the now dated SMS system, it was inevitable that this marvel of the past will soon see its twilight coming to an end.
“We remain committed to providing our customers with cost-effective and high-quality communication services that meet their modern lifestyles,” said Ekandjo.
In the photo: Chief Marketing, Communication, and Sustainability Officer Tim Ekandjo.
