Harare — ECONET Wireless has reintroduced international calls on its prepaid network after the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe granted licences to the telecommunication industry to charge tariffs in foreign currency.

Econet suspended international calls nearly two years ago on its prepaid subscribers arguing it was failing to meet termination costs for outgoing international calls.

The firm's corporate communications manager Mr Rangarirai Mberi last week said all subscribers now have the privilege of making international calls.

"You will be pleased to know that following these recent authorisations to the telecommunications industry, Econet customers, across all our product packages, will now have international access," said Mr Mberi.

Tariffs for international calls range from US$0,55 to US$7,50 per minute while sms' now cost US$0,38.

Late last year, the company had to introduce an International Calling Card, a foreign currency denominated airtime recharge card, that allowed users to make international calls.

However, following recent developments where the telecommunication operators were granted approval to charge for all their products and services in foreign currency, Econet subscribers can now make international calls without purchasing the ICC. An immediate result of the authorisation to bill in foreign currency has been to enable Econet to open negotiations with billing systems suppliers, which would lead to the restoration of post-paid packages.