PTO’s Move In To Compete With GSM
by Godfrey Ikhemuemhe2005-12-29 00:00:00 | Viewed 1588 times
With the implementation of Universal Access just a matter of days away, Fixed Wireless Operators have begun to square up with GSM operators in the competition arena as they introduce services, which have been the exclusive reserve of GSM operators.
Last week, Starcomms, one of Nigeria’s Private telecom Operators introduced SMS on its network. The uniqueness about the Starcomms SMS is that it interconnects with GSM operators on the delivery of SMS services.
Other Fixed Wireless Operators, which have begun the delivery of SMS services, are MultiLinks and Reltel. The SMS service from these two operators are however not compactable with GSM.
Before now, the delivery of SMS service has been the exclusive preserve of GSM operators at N15 per message.
But the Fixed Wireless operators offer their SMS at N5 per message, thereby beating GSM operators on charges.
The CDMA technology which most of Nigeria’s Fixed Wireless Operators have adopted is known globally to be cheaper in service delivery when compared to GSM. But GSM had taken over the turf in Nigeria because of the ease of deployment and the deep pocket of the operators.
With competition getting stiffer by the day for Fixed Wireless operators, most of them have become very innovative, introducing services, which would keep them above waters.
Apart from the ease of deployment of GSM networks, GSM’s mobility in Nigeria’s large land mass had made it a huge appeal to subscribers. But today, Fixed Wireless Operators have moved in, marketing mobility as aggressively as GSM operators themselves.
Their pricing model now beat GSM by far, a far departure from two years ago when the cost of Fixed Wireless lines were three times that of GSM.
Keen watchers of the industry say that competition between GSM operators and PTOs would become keener from next year when Unified Licensing would have been introduced.
Today, Fixed Wireless Operators are handicapped by the fact of limited mobility even though they can offer mobile lines. This means that Fixed Wireless mobile phones can only be operated within specific location in accordance with the license that they were given unlike GSM which are full mobility, meaning that their lines can be used in any part of the country where they have service.
But with Unified Licensing all that would change. It would mean that Fixed Wireless phone subscribers would also be able to use their mobile phones in any part of the country where their operator has service.
Other Value Added Service that can now be found on the stable of Fixed Wireless Operators include Voice Mail, Call Forwarding and Call Conferencing. Some of these services are offered for free by the Fixed Wireless Operators to further lure subscribers away from GSM.
Speaking for MultiLinks, Engr. Ezekiel Fatoye, Executive Director said: “Multi Links customers can now, not only make calls to other Multi Links customers for free on weekends, but also send text messages to each other for free on weekends. “We have a technical expertise. We are just passing it on to the subscriber so that he has an enhanced telecommunication experience. The subscribers total telecom experience only increases with our launch of International SMS. Our increasing cosmopolitan user profile requires this service and we have launched with 349 International Networks in nearly 150 countries with the promise of more to come.”
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