Econet Telecom Lesotho was the first African mobile service operator to enable their entire customer base to send and receive email via ForgetMeNot Africa's  eTXT service.

The new eTXT service was launched in September 2009 and enables Econet Telecom Lesotho subscribers two-way email, without the end user requiring any Internet access, device upgrades or application downloads.

Mpine Tente Head of Department Retail and Customer Service of Econet Telecom Lesotho said: "We are proud to be one of the first companies in Africa to significantly improve the population's access to email via ForgetMeNot Africa's Message Optimisers eTXT service which opens up email communications to our entire subscriber base irrespective of what phone they are using. Our mobile phone customers can now use email to share important information, communicate with family overseas or friends in another country, or even do business with people just a few miles down the road, all for the cost of a local SMS.  Message Optimiser sends and receives emails via SMS to any mobile phone."

eTXT is a stepping stone across digital divide: Lesotho's population has to share access to a little over 2,000 PCs connected to the Internet, most of which are in urban areas. Availability of  smartphones, laptops and even fixed line Internet connections is very low for this highly literate country. Using ForgetMeNot Africa's eTXT's, Econet Telecom Lesotho will bring mobile email to the entire Econet Telecom Lesotho subscriber base of both post and prepay customers across the country. The eTXT service will transform the country's low grade mobile phones into a stepping stone across the global digital divide.