BlogIT_Naija

"Celtel One Network will aid regional integration," says ECOWAS Chief

THE Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS) has said that the extension of the world's first borderless roaming to the sub region by Celtel would greatly boost the search for a greater integration of the economies of West African States.

According to a spokesperson for the sub regional body and a representative of the Secretary General of ECOWAS, Dr. Jeff Kamara, the elimination of roaming charges in the countries involved in Celtel One Network would enhance inter-border transactions, communication and bond.

He said that ECOWAS had been quietly seeking for ways of introducing borderless roaming in the area but had now been beaten to it by pan African mobile operator, Celtel.

Stressing the importance of Celtel's One Network, the ECOWAS official explained that the connectivity of the continent by means of telecommunications technology was one of the top two priorities of the NEPAD, the other being the individualisation of air transport system of Africa.

Kamara who spoke at an event to announce the introduction of One Network in Nigeria recently, said that with the bringing in of four West African countries including Nigeria, Niger, Burkina Faso, and Chad into Celtel One Network, Celtel had demonstrated its dedication to promoting economic growth and development of the sub region.

Also, he explained that because of the numerous benefits of Celtel One Network, the company should speed up its plan to introduce the service in the entire continent.

Celtel recently scrapped roaming charges in 12 African countries, creating the world's first borderless mobile network or One Network and making it possible for people with Celtel SIM cards to use their phones freely without changing their SIM, paying roaming call charges, special sign on fee and charges for receiving calls.

According to Celtel Nigeria's Chief Executive, Bayo Ligali, both pre-paid and post customers of the company had access to the same services in any of the countries involved in One Network as if they were in their home network.

He added that customers could reload their phone with the recharge cards, call customer care and send voicemail, any time they travel to any of the countries

With the expansion of Celtel One network, over 400 million people now have access to the benefits of the borderless network across Africa.

The benefits of One Network are now available in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Congo Brazzaville, Gabon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria, Burkina Faso , Chad, Niger, Malawi and Sudan.

Celtel has disclosed that there were plans to extend the history making service to more countries in Africa, the Middle East and other parts of the world. Underling the pan Africa mobile operator's parent company, Zain Group's expansion drive and quest to become one of the top global players in the telecom industry.
(Story captured from The Guardian-Nigeria news online: http://www.guardiannewsngr.com/compulife)

Dis na Naija!

doregos


Tributes:
The Guardian newspaper- http://www.guardiannewsngr.com/compulife/

CELTEL International BV is set to commence full-scale operations in the telecommunications industry by the first quarter of this year.

The company, which had already paid $115 million as part of the transaction purse of Western Telesystems Limited (WESTEL) to government, is preparing to enter the Ghanaian market at most before the first quarter of this year.

Celtel also intend to intensify the expansion of its network in Nigeria in 2008, increasing its capacity, growing its coverage and improving on its quality of service. Celtel International remains committed to the realisation of its parent company, Zain Group's global expansion vision and aggressive subscriber growth in 2008, the company said recently.

Celtel Nigeria is expected to continue its massive investment in network expansion including its 400 kilometre optic fibre project with Nokia Siemens Network, other transmission capacity building projects, national network monitoring centre project, soft switches installation projects, mobile data capability building project with Motorola for a comprehensive network expansion in the southern part of Nigeria, among others.

Celtel is one of the biggest players in Nigerian telecom industry and hopes to dominate the Ghanaian market within few years of commencing operation in the country.

The Ghanaian market is vital to Celtel, which want to use it as a window to link up its other operations in the sub-region. The Pan African mobile operator that currently has over 23 million subscribers operates in the West African states of Niger, Nigeria, Chad, Burkina Faso, and Sierra Leone. In all, the company operates currently in 15 countries.

Some market watchers believe Celtel stands a chance of gaining momentum in the industry if it introduces cheap and interesting products.

In late December 2007, Celtel paid part of the transaction fee for acquiring 75 per cent shares in WESTEL to government covering Sales and Purchase Agreement (SPA).

Oboshie Sai-Cofie, minister of Information and National Orientation, said Celtel's holding in WESTEL is, however, expected to reduce to 70 per cent within three years when it releases five per cent of its shares in addition to those to be released and floated on the Ghana Stock Exchange, to benefit Ghanaians.

A subsidiary of Kuwaiti company, Zain (formerly named MTC), Celtel is one of the largest telecommunications company in Eastern and Southern Africa.

In a recent report, Celtel announced the introduction of 'One Network', the world's first borderless mobile network to Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Chad, Malawi, Niger, and Sudan.

These countries were said to have joined the Republic of Congo, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda in the network, which was initially launched in September 2006 and has been expanded due to increased demand.

The extension of this technological breakthrough according to the a corporate affairs released, now offered the possibility for nearly half of Africa's population to make calls at local rates across 12 countries throughout the continent.

Meanwhile, Celtel is expected to retain the current management and workers of WESTEL when it begins operations.
(Story captured from the Guardian newspaper- Wednesday, January 16, 2008)

-Dis na Naija!

-doregos.


Tributes:
The Guardian- http://www.guardiannewsngr.com

MTN Nigeria has issued a statement apologising to customers for the recent poor quality of call services while promising that USD1 billion of investment in 2008 will improve matters. The cellco says that while it accepts that its service has been below acceptable levels, the federal government’s inability to provide a ‘conducive environment’ is also to blame. According to CTO Karl Toriola, part of the USD1 billion earmarked for investment will be used to build almost 1,300 base stations across the country in 2008, in addition to the 3,500 built during 2007.
(Story captured from TeleGeogrphy's CommsUpdate- http://www.telegeography.com/cu/article.php?article_id=21270&email=html)
(Read related story: http://www.businessdayonline.com/technology/2018.html)


-Dis na Naija!

-doregos


Tributes:
TeleGeogrphy's CommsUpdate - http://www.telegeography.com
BUSINESSDAY - http://businessdayonline.com

Though the qualified service provider athelets are few, the onlooking potential customers seem to fairly manage to keep up with information cluster raised by their feat.
(Nigeria prepares for 3G services:
http://www.biz-community.com/Article/157/16/18835.html)

Read and decide for yourselves who edges out who:
>MTN Launches 3.5G mobile telephony- http://www.businessdayonline.com/technology/1510.html
>MTN announces Mobile TV service for Q1 2008- http://www.businessdayonline.com/economic-watch/1629.html

>Globacom launched 3G technology in the country- http://www.africanews.com/site/list_messages/14102
>Glo promises fixed lines this year- http://www.telegeography.com/cu/article.php?article_id=21193&email=html

>Celtel Nigeria Set To Revolutionise Mobile Internet With 3G/HSDPA- http://www.mobileafrica.net/n1785.htm
>Celtel prepares for 3G launch come 2008- http://community.zdnet.co.uk/blog/0,1000000567,10006958o-209737b,00.htm


-Dis na Naija!

-doregos


Tributes:
To all the link providers.

-You can't teach old dogs new tricks!

However "sincere" NITDA (National Information Technology Development Agency) might want to be it seems to neglect the ugly fact the most of the tertiary institutions (especially the Govt. owned, premier varsities) are remanded with under-sponsored academics who (ASSU) had been calling for upgrades/reforms across boards in Nigerian tertiary -the result, Federal Government abdicating and bullying the rebellious striking-lecturers.
Some of these frustrated lecturers in the course of dispensing their duties find solace, or transfer vented anger on students by demanding money and/or sex for grades; traveling indiscriminately for "sabbaticals", and taking up lucrative part-time consultancy with firms or private institutions.
There had been many UNDP sponsored programmes deployed in many institutions but because the platform for capacity building is poor many were neglected, underused, and pilfered.
With the few opportunities provided by foreign ICT companies through industrial training for students; the Internet exposure, lecturers are challenged by informed-students to self-upgrade. However, some do not see it positively and misconceive it as humiliation -they must be detoxicated of their conceitedness and re-orientated.

Considering the rate Nigerian Govt. Institutions are ascending in hypocrisy, we'll soon have a space station without single Nigerian astronaut.
(Response to story by Business Day: http://www.businessdayonline.com/national/1834.html)


-Dis na Naija!

-doregos


Tributes:
BUSINESSDAY - http://businessdayonline.com