Free SMS to Ghana ads on Facebook

If you are a regular Facebook user in Ghana, you would have noticed recent free sms ads like the ones shared to the left of this article. One of the companies advertising free sms to Ghana is SMSGH. SMSGH owns a platform for free sms at lite.mytxtbox.com

Alex Adjei Bram is the General Manager (Sales/Marketing) of SMSGH.COM
I chatted with him recently to ask about their new free sms services and to know the catch behind it as well as how they intend to make considering several free sms websites have failed in the past.

Oluniyi: I’d wanted a few questions about your free sms service.

Alex: Ok

Oluniyi: What’s the business model? Do you want to harvest people’s mobile numbers and then blast ads to them?

Alex: No

Oluniyi: As you know, nothing is really really ever free and considering you are spending money to even advertise the service.

Alex: Ha Ha Ha Ha. The messages are paid for by advertisers.

Oluniyi: Oh okay. Ad driven.

Alex: Yeah

Oluniyi: …but several of such websites have failed in the past. What makes you think you would succeed? What makes yours different?

Alex: Advertisers who use http://pro.mytxtbox.com can place SMS ads with specific keywords.

Oluniyi: Ah. Yours is sort of targetted. Since you mentioned keywords, that implies that the messages flowing through your systems are scanned for words. What about privacy issues?

Alex: Privacy for users or privacy for advertisers?

Oluniyi: For users.

Alex: It’s the standard website privacy policy we’re running on but users’ details are not disclosed to advertisers.

Oluniyi: I see.

Alex: Have you tried it yet?

Oluniyi: Trust me. It tested it the first day I came across it. How has the reception been?

Alex: Somewhat overwhelming.

Oluniyi: Really? That’s impressive.

Alex: We’re currently doing 4 messages every minute. We hope that once a recipient mass is built advertisers can ride on that to market their products.

Oluniyi: At the rate of patronage you described as “somewhat overwhelming”, how do you see your free sms service in 3 months’ time?

Alex: At this rate we may hit 3 msg/ sec in 3 months time. Could even be way more.

Oluniyi: Impressive.

Alex: I would love for you to try it out. Register an account at pro.mytxtbox.com We’ll top you up with some credits and then you can give us some feedback.

Oluniyi: Google has recently turned attention to your market audience. How do you find the competition from Google?

Alex: It’s going to be exciting. Google being an international brand and all. We hope they will bring some good competition to the industry.

Oluniyi: Why exciting, considering Google is a MEGA competitor?

Alex: We’re very excited.

Oluniyi: You have not stated the cause of your excitement. …in relation to Google.

Alex: Google will bring some good attention to the industry. We think we are good too… They have some pretty good products.

Oluniyi: Good enough not to be worried about competition from Google. I see.

Alex: No. We are not at all worried.

Oluniyi: So how effective and relevant is SMS advertising from your years of experience in Ghana?

Alex: It’s very effective.

Oluniyi: Does your service offer any means of measuring effectiveness?

Alex: And yes quite relevant too. Most of the time via reply short codes. We usually record an average of over 6% response which is far better than radio, TV and print put together. But SMS needs to be used right when applied wrongly responses are even in the negative. That’s the challenge of the industry.

Oluniyi: In that case, what help do you offer to your clients on how to use SMS marketing effectively?

Alex: Apart from our free marketing guides and other literature we deploy apps that help users utilize SMS effectively.

-  Zap Eco-system to enrich lives offering customers more flexibility and security in a multitude of transactions 24 hours a day

Tuesday 16 March, Accra – ‘Zap’, Zain’s award winning mobile commerce service that allows customers to use their mobile phones like a mobile wallet to pay for goods and services and conduct banking services regardless of the type of handset they use, was launched today in Accra. Zap is a novel product that provides the most comprehensive and accessible package of m-commerce features currently available anywhere in the world.

Philip Sowah, Country Manager of Zain Ghana speaks to the press at the Zap launch

At the recent Global Mobile Awards in Barcelona, Zain was awarded the prestigious GSMA’s 2010 ‘Mobile Money for the Unbanked Award’ for the Zap service. The award is in recognition and appreciation of the efforts Zain has put in making mobile monetary transactions easy for all its customers.

Zain Ghana is the seventh Zain mobile operation to launch ‘Zap’ following the successful implementation of the service in Kenya, Malawi, Niger, Sierra Leone, Tanzania and Uganda.
Zap allows Zain customers to:

• Pay bills and pay for goods and services
• Receive and send money to friends and family
• Top up your own airtime account or top up someone else’s
• And soon in the following weeks, customers will be able to:
  • Send and receive money to their bank accounts
  • Withdraw cash
  • Manage their bank accounts

In a statement made at the launch, Philip Sowah, Country Manager of Zain Ghana, stated,“Once again, Zain is creating a wonderful world where customers can move about freely with their mobile phones transacting on goods and services. Our aim is to create an eco-system where Zap enriches lives by providing customers with increased security and flexibility, reducing the need to carry cash. The positive economic and social effects on the community we serve will be abundant”.

Zap Registration
Signing onto the Zap service is a simple and easy process. Customers will initially be required to register their personal details, with a valid photo ID card, at any of the Zain shops nationwide or with any of the partner banks like UBA, Standard Chartered Bank or Ecobank and their nationwide branches. Registering on to the service automatically registers the SIM card, which is currently a requirement by the NCA for telecom operators. Customers do not have to worry about opening a bank account before accessing the service as Zap does not rely on a bank account to operate.

Safety and Security
Zap is a safe and secure product, protected by a password that ensures that customers will not have to worry about their Zap account if they lose or damage their phones. The service is protected through a state-of-the-art security application and customers’ money is always safe as a password is needed for every transaction carried out.

Unlike other mobile commerce products, Zap provides customers with increased security and flexibility, reducing the need to carry cash and ensuring prompt payments of bills, goods and services. The payment of utility bills will become much easier as customers will be able to pay from the comfort of their homes or offices. Zap services are only available to Zain customers. The uniqueness and convenience of the product allows customers to do all this without having to swap SIM cards or change their handset.

Currently 80% of the Ghanaian population is unbanked, a situation which has several disadvantages to it. Traditional financial services are either remote or unavailable and Zap will alleviate the challenge that people travelling to these remote areas experience just to send money to friends and families or to conduct business.

Zap and One Network
The distinctiveness of Zap is further enhanced as it is compatible with Zain’s award winning ‘One Network’ platform, which allows all Zap customers to move freely across geographical borders and be treated as a local customer in any of the 22 ‘One Network’ countries in terms of pricing. Furthermore, they retain home network service functionalities; they can access their Zap accounts, send/receive money and pay for goods and service exactly the same way as they can at home.

-ENDS-

About Zain
Zain Ghana is part of the Zain Group, a leading telecommunications operator across the Middle East and Africa providing mobile voice and data services to over 70 million active customers as at 30 September, 2009 with a commercial presence in 23 countries.

Zain operates in the following countries: Bahrain, Burkina Faso, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Ghana, Iraq, Jordan, Kenya, Kuwait, Malawi, Madagascar, Niger, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia. In Lebanon, the company manages ‘mtc-touch’ on behalf of the government. In Morocco, Zain owns 31% of Wana Telecom through a joint venture.

Zain offers innovative services in its markets such as ‘One Network’, the world’s first borderless mobile telecommunications network enabling customers when abroad to receive calls and sms without charge and to make voice and data calls at local rates throughout 22 countries in Africa and the Middle East. This service allows a customer to top up airtime in their home country or from more than 1,000,000 outlets within Zain’s ‘One Network’ footprint.

The message read:

New! Free SMS in Gmail
Send free SMS directly from Gmail – just enter a phone number and click Enter. SMS replies come right to your Gmail inbox.
This service is now available for mobile phones in Ghana.

The free SMS can be sent directly from within Gmail once the user logs in, as seen from the screenshot below:

Free SMS in Gmail. Snapshot from Gmail.com

According to Google:

Sending a message is free from Gmail to any phone. When replying with an SMS from phone to Gmail, you will be charged a regular SMS rate by your mobile provider. Gmail SMS is currently available in Ghana with MTN, Zain, Tigo and Kasapa.

However, efforts to try out the new service on MTN, Zain and Vodafone have so far failed as can be seen from the screenshot below. The numbers were whitened due to privacy concerns but the network codes can be clearly identified:

Gmail free SMS to Ghana failing so far.

Gmail is a free, advertising-supported webmail, POP3, and IMAP service provided by Google.

UPDATE: Google has since fixed the bug.

MTN 3G pack. Photo by Oluniyi David Ajao.

I recently picked up an MTN “Exclusive 3G Pack” for 100 Ghana Cedis (about $69) and have used it extensively for about 14 days mainly in Accra. The information below is based on some of my experience using the mobile broadband service.

The 3G pack contained:

• an MTN-branded Huawei E160E USB stick
• an MTN Internet SIM

Technical Specification

Find the technical specifications and some explanation of the USB device, below:

• Network: HSDPA/UMTS (850/1900/2100MHz) & GSM/GPRS/EDGE (850/900/1800/1900MHz). This means the device can work across most GSM networks, globally.
• Speed: It supports 3.6Mbps HSDPA services. Since MTN offers connectivity over a 3.5G network, users can experience theoretical speeds of up to 3.6Mbps which is very high by today’s best standards.
• Memory: Micro SD Card Slot. It supports up to 4GB storage when a MicroSD card is placed in the included slot and therefore the device can double as a USB storage device.
• Communication: SMS services – users can send and receive text messages through the software bundled with the device. Though the device can support PC voice, the function is not enabled by MTN.
• Support data statistics: The bundled software offers extensive graphical statistics.
• Plug & Play: it works almost as soon as it is connected to a PC or Mac. It requires no seperate CD installation software.
• Cross-platform: Support Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Vista and Mac Operating Systems. From my tests, I also got it to work on an Ubuntu desktop version operating system.

MTN F@stlink software

A screenshot of MTN F@stlink software.

Installing the device was a fast and straight-forward process. The easy-to-use MTN F@stlink (the dialling software) was soon installed.

MTN F@stlink comes with the following features:

• Connection: allows users to connect and disconnect to the Internet
• Statistics: displays real-time statistics whilst the user is connected to the Internet and also includes a daily, monthly and yearly data counter.
• Text: enables the user to send and receive text messages as well as manage existing text messages.
• Phonebook: a simple contact management system that includes the following fields – Name, Mobile Number, Office Number, Home Number, E-mail Address.
• Airtime: enables the user to check existing data balance and as well as load a regular MTN airtime voucher.

MTN Internet SIM

The special SIM card bundled with the MTN “Exclusive 3G pack” had 2 Ghana Cedis airtime preloaded with amounted to 50MB data. Since this was a special SIM, the Internet tariff is lower, compared to the normal MTN SIMs. In order to compare the data tariff with that of Zain, I loaded 30 Ghana Cedis airtime and the total data derived amounted to 1.2GB. 400MB of data was credited each time I loaded a 10 Ghana Cedis airtime voucher. Note that “Zain Lite” Internet package offers only 1GB of data for 30 Ghana cedis.

The MTN Internet SIM is restricted from making or receiving calls by MTN even though it comes with a regular MTN mobile number. Calling the number, one hears the ringing buzz but there is no reaction on the PC nor any notice of a call. One hears an error message when a call attempt is made from the Internet SIM.

I tried the special SIM on a mobile phone and it worked normally with the exception of not taking nor making calls.

Usage

An MTN 3G package. Photo by Oluniyi David Ajao.

I tested the connectivity from McCarthy Hill area in Accra and experienced a signal strength that varied between 95 and 99%, with real download speeds reaching 1.8Mbps. MTN Ghana’s website www.mtn.com.gh loaded the fastest since they host their own website. Real speeds elsewhere might vary according to the time of day (peak or off-peak period), number of people connected to a particular base station, speed of travel (if the user is in motion), and signal strength.

Much of Accra is covered by MTN’s 3.5G network with EDGE filling the gap in patches without 3.5G. Using the service on the outskirts of Accra where only GPRS is available, speeds did not exceed a meagre 5kbps. This implies that MTN Broadband is best used where there is 3.5G network coverage.

According to MTN Ghana’s website:

MTN 3G service is available in Accra, Tema, Kumasi, Takoradi, Tarkwa, Bogoso, Ho, Koforidua, Cape Coast, Kasoa, Winneba, Tamale, Sunyani, Kenyasi, Techiman, Obuasi, Bolgatanga, Wa, Prestea, Damine, Ntoroso, Bibiani, Besomtwi, Bekwai, Aflao, Chirano and still counting.

In summary, MTN’s Mobile Broadband service is ideal is for home or small business users who have limited data usage but want to experience the high speed 3.5G technology offers. The entry fees are affordable as are the data tariffs. It is advisable to check if your area has 3.5G coverage before getting on board. You can do so by manually scanning the networks from a 3.5G phone.

MTN offers another device for connectivity, aside the USB stick:

3.5G F@stLink Router
MTN 3.5 G F@stlink router is a 3G cellular modem,which has an embedded wireless hotspot, with four Ethernet ports and a traditional phone jack. It is perfect for home or small offices and allows a user to sharea connection with multiple users. The router may also serve as a modem using the USB slot to provide a single connection to the user.

Did find this review useful or otherwise? Share your thoughts in the comments area.

Glo Mobile is set to launch in Ghana soon

Glo Mobile’s entry into Ghana comes at a time when Ghana’s mobile communications industry appears to be saturated already. For a population of about 22 million people, there are presently five active mobile telecommunications services viz: MTN, Tigo, Zain, Vodafone & Kasapa. Records obtained from the National Communications Authority (NCA) website indicate that the 5 cellular networks share some 14,242,476 subscribers amongst themselves in this order: MTN – 52%; Tigo – 23%; Vodafone – 14%; Zain – 9%; Kasapa – 2%. The existing mobile phone service providers already cover all the geographical locations that matter in Ghana with network coverage reaching virtually every human settlement that has a sizeable population or is of some economic importance.

Glo Mobile thus has a very tall order to make enough impact as to attract a sizeable market-share. Despite the obvious challenge, one is safe to assume that Glo Mobile has a strong strategy that would enable them penetrate the sophisticated and relatively matured market. It helps to add that Glo Mobile has the aim of becoming the largest telecommunications provider in Africa. According to media reports, Glo plans to capture 30% of the current 11 million subscriber market within 18 months of launch. My attempt is thus to forecast their entry strategy based on the mobile revolution Glo Mobile has caused in Nigeria, since 2003.

Branding

Glo Mobile has already made its presence felt in Ghana with several branding efforts since 2007 starting with its support of Ghana’s hosting of the 2008 African Cup of Nations.

A Glo-branded bus stop in Accra reading: 'imagine... a day when Ghana is all green'. Photo by Oluniyi David Ajao

In December 2008, Glo Mobile Ghana contracted a five-year sponsorship deal with Ghana’s Premier League until the end of the 2013/14 season. The league has since been known as Glo Premier League.

Glo is a sponsor of Ghana’s senior national football team- the Black Stars and also sponsors the CAF African Player of the Year Award.

Glo Mobile has some banners and billboards at the international airport, as well as other important parts of the capital city Accra.

Internet

The dynamics of mobile phone service has changed globally, over the past few years. Mobile phone networks have now evolved into full telecom service providers with services including telephony, entertainment and internet services. Internet services is where Glo Mobile has the strongest trump card in Ghana. It’s parent company – Globacom – has already launched it fibre optic connectivity’s (Glo-1) landing in Ghana. The cable is expected to carry huge internet bandwidth from Nigeria, through Ghana, to western Europe and vice versa. This automatically gives Glo Mobile Ghana access to unprecedented internet connectivity speeds. The existing fibre servicing Ghana called SAT3 is shared among most Internet Service Providers (ISPs) in Ghana yet Glo-1 (solely owned by Globacom Ltd) has more than 5 times more capacity than SAT3. I expect Glo Mobile Ghana to maximize the use of the Internet capacity by rolling out a 3.5G network at the very least, and offer juicy internet service bundles. All things being equal, the Internet connectivity speed would exceed the highest capacity of any other current service provider.

Voice

I expect Glo Mobile to offer very competitive voice tariff plans as well as all the value added services possible on a 3.5G network: video calling, voicemail, voice sms, call forwarding, call conference, call divert etc. Phone services offered at the right pricing would attract subscribers to Glo Mobile. One waits to see how Glo can beat Kasapa, in the tariff arena.

Coverage

Network coverage is one area Glo Mobile has reportedly resolved to take the lead in Ghana. Focusing on offering a very wide network coverage can put Glo in a good position to acheiving its ultimate aim. One expects that they would choose the initial towns they cover sensibly, considering that existing networks already cover much of Ghana.

Promotions

One area I expect Glo to explore is offering mouth-watering promotions in a bid to attract new subscribers. The market is already awash with promotions from existing networks offering: cars, houses, cash, mobile phones etc. I expect Glo Mobile to announce promotions that are bigger than existing ones. In this same area, I expect free night calls, free network text messages, and occasional heavy discounts on call tariffs.

Choose your number

Since Glo Mobile would be a new cellular network, one expects that they would auction memorable phone numbers, and allow new subscribers to choose their own phone numbers, based on availability. This also helps to endear those who want to jump ship from other cellular networks or just want an easy-to-remember phone number.

If I am allowed to be selfish, I would expect Glo Mobile to offer a 3.5G network in my residential area considering that none of the existing GSM networks does so.

In summary, I have very high expectations of Glo Mobile Ghana, going by the experience of their parent company in Nigeria and their aggressive drive to be the number player in Africa. Existing success makes their ultimate vision a realistic one.

Zain

AIRCOM has deployed a team of more than 20 consultants from offices throughout Africa to deliver a service solution for both radio and transmission network planning that supports Zain’s ambitious 3.5G network rollout targets.  Following the planning and optimisation of the network, AIRCOM will spend a year in the country training the Zain Ghana local team, prior to a complete competence transfer upon commercial launch.

Formerly MTC, Zain has pledged to invest more $400 million (USD) in Ghana to deliver a reliable, high quality 3.5G mobile network and position the country as one of Africa’s leading mobile communications innovators.

“Zain is investing in Ghana as its people need and deserve a reliable, up-to-date mobile network that allows customers to communicate easily by voice, text, picture and video, while accessing internet content and services on the move,” said Siyabongo Zulu, Operations Director at Zain Ghana.  “It is apparent that AIRCOM’s network expertise and understanding of Ghana’s specific market requirements meant it was the perfect partner to help deliver these services, so we’re delighted to welcome the team on board.”

Commenting on the deal, Graham Kemp, Hub MD for AIRCOM in Africa said:  “To be selected by a leading innovator like Zain to support its ambitious growth into Africa is further evidence that AIRCOM is quickly becoming the service partner of choice in the developing mobile communications marketplace.  We look forward to working with the Zain team to deliver a reliable, quality network to the people of Ghana.”

BlackBerry Curve 8900 - marketed as the thinnest and lightest full-QWERTY BlackBerry smartphone

Speaking at the launch of Blackberry solutions, Mr. Phillip Sowah, Country Manager of Zain Ghana, said “Successful businesses in the 21st century would require superior technological solutions that give them the edge over their competitors. Zain Ghana offers the full and current range of Blackberry devices offering our customers the mobility, convenience and efficiency that is necessary to run their virtual office”.

Mr. Sowah said the Blackberry storm, Blackberry curve 8900, Blackberry bold, and Blackberry pearl flip 8220 smartphones are well balanced mobile phones that deliver advanced features, refined usability and stylish designs.

Babar Khan, Chief Executive Officer of EMS, said “We are delighted to partner with Zain to bring the many benefits of Blackberry solutions to its customers and will be supporting Zain in its everyday mission by bringing the latest products and services to the market”.

Zain is a leading telecommunications operator across the Middle East and Africa, providing mobile voice and data services to 69.5 million customers. EMS is a Dubai based solutions and service provider, whiles RIM is a strategic partner in the world communications market. 3 Sep. 09

Apple iPhone 3G S promo image

iPhone here, iPhone there, iPhone everything. Apple’s iPhone, an Internet-connected, multimedia GSM smartphone, has become very popular globally since it was launched in the United States around June 2007. It is now the standard-bearer among keyboard-less smartphones and has inspired several very similar designs from leading mobile phone manufacturers like Nokia 5800 XpressMusic, Samsung Instinct etc.

What makes iPhone most appealing to me is the wide variety of available applications that have been designed to run on iPhones. iPhone now seems to be the standard phone for geeks. In addition to the cute looks and exciting user interface, I am curious to use those applications as many of them are only available on iPhone.

The sleek iPhone is not necessarily the best smartphone out there but for iPhone to be the most popular camera on Flickr (a photo-sharing website), Apple Inc must be doing something right. The iPhone is social-media friendly; it includes many features that make it easy to connect to & share content on social media networks in real time.

You would then wonder, why haven’t I got myself an iPhone before now? iPhone’s marketing model is to make the device available through contracts with cellular networks only. The phones are thus locked to the supplying network and cannot be used outside that network. Unfortunately, Apple does not have such a contract with MTN Ghana, Tigo Ghana, Vodafone Ghana, nor Zain Ghana. I am aware that there are a few unlocked iPhones on the mobile phone market in Ghana but I am not willing to take the risk. I have read reports of iPhones going dead after a software upgrade because they were unlocked.

In May 2008, Vodafone announced that it had signed an agreement with Apple Inc to sell the iPhone in ten of its markets around the globe. Vodafone customers in Australia, the Czech Republic, Egypt, Greece, Italy, India, Portugal, New Zealand, South Africa (Vodacom) and Turkey will be able to purchase the iPhone for use on the Vodafone network. There lies my hope. I am hoping Vodafone would extend the agreement with Apple, to cover Ghana since Vodafone has a network here in Ghana. An iPhone is the only thing that would hook me to the Vodafone Ghana network.

Should MTN sign an agreement with Apple and supply iPhones in Ghana, then I’d be among the first to sign a contract and grab the ubiquitous iPhone.

MTN Mobile Money promo image

Ghana’s leading telecommunications provider, MTN, has successfully launched MTN Mobile Money in partnership with 9 banks ahead of its competitors to allow Ghanaians to perform a range of basic financial transactions using their handsets.

Subscribers can reap the benefits of this service without the need to open or have a bank account.

The service, which was launched at the International Conference Centre in Accra, will allow subscribers to have access to money beyond banking hours or at anytime.

MTN Mobile Money gives cash management freedom to subscribers in line with MTN’s pay off line: ‘everywhere you go’ for as long as users can access MTN’s network.

This service which will also be available on the Internet will enable users to save time for other activities.

Mr. Brett Goschen, MTN Ghana CEO, said “the introduction of MTN Mobile Money which is convenient, accessible, safe and easy demonstrates the company’s commitment to bring world class mobile services to subscribers in all parts of the country.” The Mobile Money platform allows non MTN customers (even those who do not have a cell phone) to transfer or receive money by using the services of the Authorised MTN Mobile Money Merchants. The secured system and processes conforms to best practices in the industry and highly regulated by relevant authorities.”

With this innovative product, subscribers would enjoy the convenience of easily transacting from the comfort of their homes or offices at any time of the day, instantly.

* CAL Bank, Ecobank, Fidelity Bank, GTBank, Intercontinental Bank, Merchant Bank, UBA, Stanbic, Zenith Bank

Nokia N96 is a mobile TV compatible handset

With DStv Mobile from MTN innovation, 11 channel bouquet are available including Africa Magic, SuperSport, Cartoon Network, BBC & CNN which are currently only accessible through television sets can now be easily accessed   by MTN customers in Accra & Tema on their mobile phone

The  DStv Mobile from MTN was launched at an impressive ceremony at Rhapsody in the Accra Mall to introduce the latest innovation from MTN to  customers and the public.

The launch of the DStv Mobile from MTN follows a chain of exciting services and products launched by MTN since the beginning of 2009.
Some of the innovative products include the community phone aimed at ensuring that MTN subscribers reach their relations in the remotest areas of Ghana with the MTN experience. The 3.5G technology was also introduced services like Video Calling which enables customers to see people they talk to as well as things they need to see, others are the MTN Mobile Broadband & MTN Loaded. The 3.5 G product was introduced with a variety of features to provide enhanced mobile telephony for MTN customers There was also the new network code, 054, to enable more people join the MTN family.

MTN Mobile TV has been introduced at a time when the world is looking forward to South Africa 2010 with much excitement. The prospects of seeing the beautiful game on mobile handsets increases the  thrill for the forthcoming global soccer event.

As the lead sponsor of, South Africa 2010 MTN is working to bring the soccer fiesta as close to its customers as possible. The  DStv Mobile from MTM, a service which transforms mobile phones into a mobile TV enable football lovers follow every detail of the event conveniently via their phone.

In a message to Ghanaian MTN customers CEO of Digital Mobile Television International DMTV Francois Theron expressed his excitement about the introduction of the Mobile TV in Ghana. He said plans are underway to ensure that subscribers get the best available and relevant programmes.  He added that “In a few weeks we will show all the matches of the 2009 Confederations Cup and later this year in August we will show LIVE matches of the English Premier League.”
The General Manager for Nokia West and Central Africa, Mark Pritchard, also said that Nokia is especially pleased to work together with DMTV and MTN, to offer consumers 12 months access to DSTV Mobile when they purchase a compatible handset.  He said some of the compatible handsets are Nokia N96 and N77, Nokia N79, N85, N86, N97, E75 and 5800.

MTN would continue partnering with strategic stakeholders and experts like these to bring innovative products and world class telecommunications to Ghana.

MTN continues to lead with even more innovative products for the benefit of our cherished customers and the public.

A mobile phone connected to a laptop computer. Image courtesy allaboutsymbian.com

Long before mobile phones became popular in Ghana, fixed lines offered by the national operator Vodafone Ghana (then known as Ghana Telecom) and to a limited extent WESTEL, were widespread among businesses, government offices, organizations and private homes of the elite. When Vodafone introduced dial-up internet and later broadband using ADSL technology, it was a natural progression for most to simply continue relying on Vodafone for connectivity. In Ghana today, most still rely on Vodafone despite the wide range of other options. Matter of fact, most ISPs rely on Vodafone for Internet bandwidth. This is because a certain submarine cable (SAT3) offers super-fast Internet connectivity, at very competitive rates, as compared to connectivity via satellite (VSAT). Most ISPs thus find it economical and technically sensible to route their International traffic via the SAT3 system. The downside is that Vodafone retains exclusivity over that submarine cable and therefore any technical problems from Vodafone directly related to that cable affects all ISPs relying on them for international network connectivity. It thus turns out that majority of the populace rely on Vodafone directly and indirectly, for international bandwidth.

Having created this background, I will explain what is happening as I type this. My main means of Internet connectivity has been down for about 24 hours now. My ISP relies on Vodafone for international connectivity. I have reliable information that Vodafone customers are still able to connect to the internet, albeit at very slow speeds. I am thus forced to switch to MTN and Zain. I have always used MTN for connecting to the Internet, when I am away from my base, or on the move. One might then wonder, why not simply switch to MTN permanently? Cost is the deterring factor. Mobile internet is usually expensive, in this part of the world and that pushes it to the background as backup. It plays that role excellently.

At this point, it is necessary to point out that the main cellular operators MTN, Tigo, Zain have their own international gateway for voice and data traffic and as such do not rely on Vodafone. Thus, downtimes from Vodafone do not usually affect the mobile operators and vice versa.

The following factors make mobile networks viable backups for Internet connectivity:

No monthly fees
What makes mobile internet unusable as the main means of Internet connectivity is what makes it perfect as a backup. Their pay-as-you-go model ensures that users only pay when they connect. There are no monthly fees nor connection fees.

Hardware ubiquity
Mobile phones that come embedded with at least GPRS modems are now mainstream. Users thus do not have to invest in additional hardware but simply need to connect their mobile device to their computer, install the necessary connectivity software and they can connect to the Internet within minutes.

Speed

With the right network and equipment, users can achieve speeds that Vodafone cannot offer to end users at this time. MTN and Zain offer theoretical speeds of at least 3.6 Mbits/s since their respective networks use 3.5G (HSDPA) technology in Accra, Tema and Kumasi. In addition to being within 3.5G coverage area, a user needs a 3.5G compatible mobile equipment (handset or data card) to be able to experience the high speed. Where there is no 3.5G coverage, the connection automatically switches to 3G, EDGE or GPRS, in that order. The lower technologies offer much lower speed with GPRS connectivity speed being comparable to the old dial-up system.

3.5G is still relatively new in Ghana, and as such, coverage is still being expanded into other parts of Ghana. Tigo and Vodafone have already contracted their respective network upgrades to their hardware partners.

Be aware

It is important to note that data rates on mobile networks in Ghana are relatively high. It is thus necessary to watch your data usage and limit your use to essential web activities. Also, some of the cellular networks do offer monthly bundled packages in addition to the pay-as-you-go pricing.

MTN Ghana

Action: Send a blank text message (SMS) to 686 from your MTN. Save the settings you received, to your phone. Select MTN DATA as default access point.

MTN Ghana

MTN Ghana, the leading mobile telecommunications operator in Ghana has announced the commercial rollout of its ultra powerful 3.5G technology at an impressive ceremony in Accra. The launch event themed Go Beyond, Experience our better life today took place at the Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons in Accra and brought together members of the media, staff and Regulators. There were live demonstrations about the technology and the various services available to MTN customers. The occasion also marked the launch of an Internal Innovations Hub Project.

With the largest market share, widest coverage and competitive pricing, MTN’s ultra powerful 3.5G technology complements its existing 2G network to provide MTN subscribers with the widest coverage and consolidate its position as the leading telecommunication provider for Ghana whilst positively impacting every aspect of the lives of its customers. MTN will at this phase of the launch offer subscribers the flexibility to access a variety of services to customers in Accra and Kumasi as the rollout continues nationally. In addition to voice services, initial applications will include high-speed internet access at speeds significantly faster than dial-up, or GPRS connections, as well as video messaging and other multimedia services.

The MTN 3.5G launch marks an evolution in mobile technology for Ghana. Building on the existing superior coverage footprint, MTN 3.5G will initially achieve data speed transmission of up to 3.6megabits per second and will be expanded beyond 7.2 megabits per second. This major step forward by MTN will essentially put Ghana at the forefront of technology, in the league of top mobile operators globally.

Chief Executive Officer, MTN Ghana Brett Goshen said, “We are very pleased with the significant progress we have made in building an extensive 3.5G network and making it available to a large number of our valued customers.

Mr. Goshen added, “we are launching our 3.5G network with more than 7 times the number of 3.5G base stations than the next competitor. In addition, we are launching with the widest and best connection in Accra, Tema and Kumasi and will be expanding aggressively to all major cities in the months to come.”

With the commercial launch of the 3.5G services, MTN continues to show its commitment as the leading mobile operator in the Ghanaian market offering a wide range of services and technologies to suit different types of customers and situations including MTN Zone, Blackberry Services, Web Recharge, Community Phones and Seamless Roaming Services, calling USA, Canada and the UK at local rates to mention but a few of our myriad of innovative and compelling services.

Chief Marketing Officer George Kojo Andah added, “at MTN we are not just a company, we are a community that lives your passions and champions your aspirations. We will continue anticipating the current and emerging needs of all our targeted stakeholders and work with our people and the best technology to provide the highest service quality and speed. Our teams have already finished extensive testing of the 3.5G network, and we are extremely pleased with the results. We can also assure our customers that our tariffs will continue to be extremely competitive and our targeted customers will be able to enjoy our services with the best connection everywhere they go.”

Today’s launch follows the formal announcement of MTN’s 3.5G services earlier this year to introduce the technology and provide 3.5G services on a pilot basis.

The introduction of this latest service fulfills MTN’s pledge to bring world class telecommunications service to its subscribers and the general public. MTN will continue rolling out more innovative services into the market as promised.

About 3.5G

MTN 3.5G allows greater speed and efficiency in transmission of existing services including voice, text and data (that are available today) and more. For the corporate customers, having data download speeds equivalent to an ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line) line at home means convenient business connectivity, efficiency, mobility & profitability.

For the young consumers, 3.5G brings endless possibilities to support a whole new suite of exciting multimedia services such as video streaming, games, music videos, sports, news and more.

Lastly, apart from voice calls, our customers can also make video calls with 3G enabled handsets, bringing them closer to their loved ones – a richer communication experience, the ‘?can see and speak’ at the same time!

The service is based on HSDPA, short for High-Speed Downlink Packet Access, which is a new protocol for mobile telephone data transmission. Commonly known as 3.5G (G stands for generation) technology, HSDPA is based on a packet switched suite of protocols (which offers several advantages over the existing circuit-switched techniques used for carrying mobile voice) and utilizes a number of techniques in parallel to increase the efficiency and reduce the latency. This allows higher call volumes and support for new and exciting multimedia data applications such as broadband access to the internet, emailing, mobile TV, video telephony and video conferencing from a mobile phone, PDA, or laptop.

Vodafone logo

After buying a 70 per cent shareholding in the Ghana Telecommunication Company in August 2008, partnering with the Government of Ghana, Vodafone has made significant investments to improve the performance and to expand the capacity of its networks.

Vodafone has also signed a multi-million dollar deal with Huawei Technologies to bring its 3G network services to the Ghanaian market, giving customers access to high speed mobile internet services in the future.

David Venn, Chief Executive Officer of Vodafone Ghana, commented: “Today’s announcement is the next step in a telecommunications renaissance across Ghana. Vodafone will offer the most reliable and cost effective services in the Ghanaian market and we will set the benchmark for customer satisfaction. Our customers should expect an excellent network as the basis for these services and we are committed to delivering it.”

He added: “I would like to thank all Ghanaians for the welcome we have received and the tremendous interest they have shown in Vodafone since we arrived here in this market. We have also invested in the social fabric of Ghana, deploying community booths, supporting National Farmers day and helping the educational funds of a number of the traditional areas. I look forward to announcing similar initiatives in due course.”

The official launch of Vodafone follows the successful joining together of the Ghana Telecommunications Company with Vodafone Group, which serves over 290 million customers in 27 countries around the world.

About Vodafone Ghana
Vodafone Ghana, originally the Post and Telecommunications Department of the Civil Service, went through several transformations before being renamed Ghana Telecom in 1996. It was divested first to a consortium called G-Comm Limited led by Telekom Malaysia and was later managed by a Norwegian management services company known as Telenor Management Partners (TMP).

It employs close to 3,400 Ghanaians and is a major source of employment in the communications industry. As the industry leader, providing fixed, mobile and broadband services, the company serves as the backbone for economic growth and development in the ICT sector.

About Vodafone Group Plc
Vodafone is the world’s leading international mobile telecommunications company, with equity interests in 27 countries and Partner Markets in more than 40 countries. As of 31 December 2008, Vodafone had approximately 289 million proportionate customers worldwide.

Vodafone

Reports reaching Mobile Africa indicate that Ghana Telecom has been slated for re-branding after the Easter holidays. This follows a 70% acquisition of the erstwhile state-owned telecom company by Vodafone. The Government of Ghana retains a 30% stake in the company.

Although Vodafone took over the operations of Ghana Telecom since last year, it had retained the Ghana Telecom brand until now. The rebranding is expected to herald a stiff competiton with other leading telecommunications companies in the West African nation.

Ghana Telecom has about 1,400,000 customers which translate into a 17% market share.

Vodafone is a mobile network operator with its headquarters in Newbury, Berkshire, England, UK. It is the largest mobile telecommunications network company in the world by turnover and has a market value of about £75 billion (August 2008). Vodafone currently has operations in 25 countries and partner networks in a further 42 countries.

Many mobile phones attempt to do everything from simple texting, to GPS navigation but these phones are better at some things than the others thus the need to classify them. Before now, I had used an i-mate JAQ3 Windows 5 powered-smartphone for business, along with a Nokia 3250 XpressMusic for photography and personal entertainment whilst on the move. I have since upgraded to Nokia E71 smartphone along with a Nokia 5800 XpressMusic.

What makes the E71 tick?

Nokia E71

Many. The Nokia E71 is a serious business phone ground-up. It comes with a full QWERTY keyboard layout and is enclosed in a strong metallic case. My initial disappointment about the E71 not having a touch screen was quickly dwarfed by its intuitive cursor and comfortable keypad. I find the keypad so comfortable that I find myself sending text messages more often. Matter of fact, I typed the entire text for this article on the Nokia E71.

The smartphone comes with QuickOffice. This mobile version of Office suite software allows you to create or open Word documents, PowerPoint Presentations or Excel Worksheets.

It also comes with a built-in mobile email client and you can also opt for Nokia Email software (Blackberry-like) if the in-built email client does not meet all your email needs. You can send new messages via good-old SMS or MMS.

Being a 3.5G phone, you can access the Internet via 3.5G, 3G, EDGE, or GPRS – subject to network availability. You can also make/receive video calls where there is 3G coverage. The Nokia E71 is capable of handling encrypted G-standard wifi networks.

The call quality on this phone is good enough but my problem is that it fails to detect MTN Ghana’s 3.5G network where there is coverage but my Nokia 5800 detects the same network. The standard earpiece leaves much to be desired and I have since abandoned it. I was able to download and install an Internet radio application on the phone and I listen to Indian melodies by connecting to Indian Internet radio stations through wifi.

Nokia 5800 XpressMusic keeps you entertained

Nokia 5800 XpressMusic

The 5800 is one of the latest in the Nokia XpressMusic series of multimedia devices. XpressMusic is a brand name for series of Nokia phones that are specifically designed for music playback.

True to form, the Nokia 5800 handles music extremely well. It can play digital audio clips encoded in AAC, AU, M4A, MIDI Tones, MP3, MP4, RealAudio, WAV, and WMA among others. It has graphic equalizer, bass boster and stereo widening. It has in-built stereo speakers and a 3.5mm headphones connector. This enables you to connect any headphones of your choice. The default earpiece is abridged and this allows me to occasionally carry the phone in my breast pocket and have the pair of earpieces in my ear lopes without some long cable dangling around my neck. The cable can be extended. The extended version comes with a music controller for playing/pausing as well as forward/rewind buttons.

The wide screen of the phone is used judiciously as video playback is always horizontal. I can switch between wide-screen format and the original dimension of the video. The only drawback is that the in-built RealMedia player is unable to handle popular video formats like WMV, MOV and MPEG. It however plays mobile video formats like MP4 and 3GP. I reckon video format conversion is possible via the Nokia Ovi software but I am yet to try that out.

Equipped with Carl Zeiss lens, the 5800′s camera shines in the area of photography. With a 3.2 mega-pixels capability, I couldn’t ask for more from a mobile device. The photo and video quality are on the high side.

The phone’s massive 8GB Micro SD card (upgradeable to 16GB) gives lots of room for storing audio, video, photos, messages and other files. The phone can even be used as a mass storage device when connected to a computer.

Nokia has demonstrated times without number that it deserves the tag of being the market leader in the area of manufacturing mobile phones. The E71 and 5800 XpressMusic are further proof.

glo

Globacom Limited, operators of Glo Mobile, has acussed the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of was slowing the company down with delays in the issuance of permits to erect masts to start operations.

Mr Idowu Olumodeji, Head of Technical-Rollout at Glo, told the GNA that the company had had to push back deadlines several times because the EPA had not issued permits for masts.

He noted that to date Glo had submitted over 500 applications for permits to mount masts and other infrastructure in most of the regional capitals, but EPA was yet to issue a single permit.

“Originally the EPA had issues with proof of neighbourhood consent from the communities we have earmarked for our cell sites but we have provided those proofs for about 300 of the applications and yet they have refused to issue the permits,” he said.

Mr Olumodeji, who sounded frustrated, said Glo had asked EPA not to wait for all the applications to be complete but to issue permits for those which were complete but the EPA had not been co-operative on that either.

He noted that the situation was particularly hard for Glo because unlike the other network operators, which inherited existing infrastructure, Glo was starting from scratch and had no infrastructure to start with without the EPA permits.

“We were issued with a licence in May last year and the government and people of Ghana have since been waiting for us to rollout our services but the EPA is really slowing us down,” he said.

“We have done all the necessary promotions and sponsorships to whip up public interest in Glo but we feel very frustrated by the EPA’s attitude towards us.”

He noted that apart from the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), which had issued all the necessary permits to Glo, all the other permit agencies such as the Ghana National Fire Service (GFS) and the District, Municipal and Metropolitan Assemblies were waiting on the EPA permit as a pre-requisite for them to also issue their respective permits.

Mr Olumodeji said Glo had millions of dollars worth of equipment gathering dust and rusting at its warehouse off the Spintex road due to delays by the EPA.

“I have one of my staff members permanently present at the EPA head office in Accra collaborating with them to expedite action on our permits but that has not yielded fruits yet,” he said.

He noted that Glo had shown commitment to following through with laid down procedure for acquiring the necessary permits for operations but its commitment had not been duly reciprocated.
“We know the EPA had issues with some of the networks regarding the erection of masts and we do not want to be in that situation so we have shown commitment to the process all through.”

He said powerful agencies like the EPA could sometimes frustrate investors and that could negate Ghana?s effort to attract investors into her economy.

“Glo has delivered in Nigeria and in the Republic of Benin but Ghana is slowing us down.”

Glo was the sixth mobile telecom operator in the country after TIGO, MTN, Kasapa, Onetouch and Zain.

Source: GNA

Zain Africa CEO Mr Chris Gabriel selling a sim card to a new Zain Ghana customer at the flagship store in Osu on Oxford Street in Accra on the day the 3.5G network was launched. Photo courtesy: Zain.com

I listened to Philip Sowah, the Country Manager of Zain Communications Ghana Limited, being interviewed on Joy FM‘s Super Morning show one morning in the last quarter of 2008. It was at the eve of Zain’s network launch in Ghana. One thing I remember clearly was him saying Zain Ghana has so much network capacity, they are scared in a positive way. I wondered to myself: “What is he talking about? Why this much confidence? Is this a marketing gimmick?“  Zain eventually launched and I bought a Zain SIM card, just to experience Ghana’s first 3.5G network not that I was ready to ditch my MTN that had served me quite well for more than 5 years.

I recently bought a Nokia 5800 XpressMusic – a 3.5G high-capacity multimedia device from Alireta Mobile – and decided to give my Zain SIM a spin with the mind that should it serve me better, it would replace my MTN eventually. I have been blown away in the past few days and thus I feel compelled to document the positive difference I have experienced.

For well over a decade, MTN (hitherto known as Spacefon, then Areeba) has been the market leader in Ghana in terms of running the most sophisticated cellular network, and offering more useful value added services than its competitors. Not anymore. For the first time, MTN has a tougher competitor to contend with.

3.5G network coverage
MTN Ghana scrambled to unleash their 3.5G network on the Ghanaian airwaves after Zain’s loud entry into the telecom market. Zain’s 3.5G network has a wider coverage than that of MTN, in Accra. I have tested the two from Tete Quarshie interchange to McCarthy hill. From McCarthy hill to Osu. Zain even went a step further to publish their 3.5G network coverage on their website and the publication reveals that 3.5G is available in much of Accra and parts of Kumasi (Ghana’s 2nd commercial hub). Whilst at work, I make sure my phone is permanently on 3G network mode so I can experience the superior call quality and make/receive video calls on Zain. Neither of them has a perfect 3.5G coverage but Zain is ahead, from my checks.

Mobile Internet ‘Activation Fee’
Unlike MTN, Zain does not ask for a 5 Ghana Cedi “activation fee” for internet connectivity to be enabled on one’s SIM. Slot your Zain SIM into a capable GPRS/EDGE/3G/3.5G phone and the settings come tumbling in within minutes. Zain even sends you an MMS welcoming you to “A Wonderful World”.

Call cost summary
I was pleasantly surprised to discover that I get the total cost of a call I make, after the call is over. A message displays on my phone informing me of the amount deducted from my account for that call and the account balance I have left. Now, that is transperancy at its best. There is nothing like that on MTN.

SMS
I can update my Twitter account via SMS using Zain. MTN could not deliver SMS to the UK mobile number used by Twitter.com
Zain delivered to the same number, in 2 seconds.

I do not have to retry sending SMS multiple times and pray it goes through each time, on Zain. On the other hand, the little tricks I used on MTN are even begining to fail as I have a hard time sending international SMS from MTN.

Still on SMS, Zain has a neat online service called Zain Web2SMS. I can compose and send SMS from Zain’s website with the added convenience of typing on a computer keyboard. It is faster and better for me. Zain bills my prepaid account for each SMS sent. What is more exciting? Zain offers 5 free Zain to Zain SMS daily. MTN hardly ever gives anything for free. Hardly.

MMS
Zain’s MMS really works. I can zap photos and audio to loved ones’ phones or email accounts. MTN’s MMS has been epileptic for months now.

Missed call notification
Whenever my phone is switched off or out of cellular coverage area, I receive SMS notification from Zain when my phone is back online, informing me of the missed calls. I know MTN has been offering the same service for several years but I could not access it because they restricted it to post-paid subscribers only. I had been attracted to MTN’s post-paid offering for so long but I stayed away because of the $1,500 security deposit they required for international roaming. I am fine with prepaid roaming – thank you very much. I would rather leave my money in a fixed deposit account than hand it to MTN if I have no use for it.

Roaming
Talking about roaming, MTN quickly launched their “Seamless Roaming” service some weeks before Zain launched in Ghana. MTN’s Seamless Roaming is a very similar concept to Zain’s One Network. They both allow local subscribers to access the network of other subsidiaries, outside the home network. Example: Zain subscribers in Kenya can roam into the Zain networks in Tanzania, Uganda, Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Niger without hassles. Traveling subscribers can receive calls/SMS for free, and make calls at the same rate subscribers on the host network pay. MTN’s Seamless Roaming currently works in Cameroon, Nigeria, Benin Republic and Ghana.

Call Divert
You have no idea how useful this service is to me. I can divert calls all my calls unconditionally, or if I am busy, or if I do not answer the calls within a stipulated number of seconds, or if I am out of network coverage area. These settings come with even the most basic GSM phone but MTN has restricted its prepaid subscribers to “Call divert – if out of reach” and even that can only be diverted to their default Voicemail number only. On Zain, there is no single restriction and so I can divert my calls as I deem fit!

Zain Phone number Pre-registration
I was able to search for and book a phone number of my choice, even before the commercial launch. MTN doesn’t offer that convenience.

Over all, I am enjoying the Zain experience so far. What about you? What has been your experience with Zain in Ghana? Share your thoughts by leaving your comments now.

MTN

The MTN Group has announced that the successful launch of Mobile Money Transfer (MMT) in Uganda marks the beginning of a series of planned launches across its operations in Africa and Middle-East.

The product, called MTN MobileMoney, is a convenient, secure and affordable way for MTN subscribers to send money, buy airtime and pay bills using the mobile phone. Whether users have an existing bank account or not, they can register for MTN MobileMoney as long as the sender is an MTN subscriber. Those who do not have MTN SIM cards or even a phone can still receive money from MTN MobileMoney users and send money through a network of agents in their country.

MTN has been piloting MMT services through MTN Uganda and at the Group’s West and Central Africa (WECA) region operations (Cameroon, Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire and Nigeria) since October 2008. Four additional pilots were recently launched in Benin, Guinea Bissau, Guinea Conakry and Liberia.

The pilots are aimed at waterproofing the systems and operational processes in preparation for the commercial launch. MTN’s WECA region vice-president, Mr Christian de Faria says the pilots are assisting with fine-tuning the processes and systems and have given MTN the first insights into subscriber demand. “Initial subscriber responses in the different countries have been encouraging and we are confident that the service could be introduced rapidly in our various markets.”

In each market, MTN has partnered with local banks to ensure that its MMT services are fully compliant with financial services regulations. Discussions are currently on-going with relevant authorities in various countries to ensure that all regulatory requirements are met.

Says MTN Group Executive, Corporate Affairs, Ms Nozipho January-Bardill: “The piloting of MTN’s MMT services reaffirms MTN’s leadership in telecommunications and the company’s commitment to providing products and services that meet customers’ needs and expectations. We believe our MMT offering will make money transfer and basic payments more convenient and more affordable to our subscribers. We acknowledge our partner banks and the banking regulators in our different markets for the enthusiasm and support they are giving us.”

ABOUT THE MTN GROUP
Launched in 1994, the MTN Group is a multinational telecommunications group, operating in 21 countries in Africa, Asia and the Middle East. The MTN Group is listed on the JSE Securities Exchange in South Africa under the share code: “MTN”. As at 30 September 2008, MTN recorded 80,7 million subscribers across its operations in Afghanistan, Benin, Botswana, Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, Cyprus, Ghana, Guinea Bissau, Guinea Republic, Iran, Liberia, Nigeria, Republic of Congo (Congo Brazzaville), Rwanda, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Syria, Uganda, Yemen and Zambia. The MTN Group is a global sponsor of the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™ and has exclusive mobile content rights for Africa and the Middle East.

MTN

MTN Ghana, a telecommunication network, on Sunday assured its Northern Region customers that technical teams were working with other stakeholders to improve the company’s services in the area, within the next seven days.

The company said its attention has been drawn to media reports of the Consumer Advocacy Agency and the Right of the People, to embark on various actions to expresses their dissatisfaction with the company’s quality of service in the Region.

A statement signed by Ms Mawuena Dumour, Corporate Service Executive, of the company, explained that in the last three weeks, MTN has experienced disruptions in service in the region due to cuts made on its fiber by contractors from other competitor organizations. It said “MTN articulated those challenges to the National Communications Authority (NCA) and subscribers in the region with an understanding that the issues were being addressed.” The statement said MTN subsequently received commendation from some stakeholders in the region when marked improvements were noted in service quality.

It said the company viewed as very unfortunate the fact that the two groups both based in the region would plan such actions without making their concerns known to MTN.

The statement said ironically, this was happening “at a time MTN is engaged in extensive roll out of additional telecommunications equipment and latest optical fibre technology infrastructure to expedite the improvement of quality of service.” It said over the last two years since entering the Ghanaian market, MTN has invested more than 25 million dollars in the region, in telecommunications infrastructure compared with three million dollars prior to the company’s entry into the market. The statement said “Current roll out plans for the region expect to put in place more than 200 new telecommunications, cell sites this year and more than 280 infrastructure upgrades in the second quarter of this year.”

It said “MTN remains fully committed to open and constructive dialogue and is taking steps to engage, with leaders of the two groups, to fully arm them with information about, the actions the company has taken to ensure world class service in the Northern Region and in Ghana as a whole.”

Source: GNA

glo

Glo Mobile Ghana is set to change the face of communication in Ghana as it engages ZTE, a highly-rated international telecoms vendor, to deploy additional access network infrastructure including hundreds of indoor and outdoor Basic Trans-receiver Stations (BTS) for its imminent roll-out.

The Ghana access network ZTE is deploying for Glo is in addition to those being installed for Glo Ghana by other reputable equipment vendors. In addition to the BTS, the ZTE deployment also includes many Base Switching Centres (BSCs), 3G NodeBs, RNCs, PDH MW links, EDGE and HSPA, OMCs, planning and optimization tools. ZTE will also install for Glo the Accra metro fibre backbone configuration spanning Accra-Kumasi-Tokaradi, Accra-Ho, Kumasi-Suyani, and Kumasi-Tamale. Other cities and roads to be covered by Globacom in its strategic partnership with ZTE in the Ghana telecoms revolution are in the Brong-Ahafo region.

A statement by Globacom’s Executive Director (Special Projects), Mr. Mike Jituboh, said the microwave transmission extension Glo was deploying would ensure voice and data clarity and eliminate bottlenecks usually encountered with pre-expansion technology. The new network elements with multi-media components will be linked to the Glo 1 submarine Optic Fibre Cable thereby providing a golden opportunity for Ghanaians to establish private call centre operations with attendant economic benefits to the people.

The Glo 1 submarine cable will have landing stations in London, New York, Lisbon and major cities in 16 other African countries including Accra, Dakar and Lagos. The Glo 1 submarine cable will land in Ghana shortly. Globacom and ZTE representatives are optimistic that the deployment of these facilities and provision of additional platforms will give communication in the West African country a significant boost.

MTN

According to MTN, the 3.5G launch marks an evolution in mobile technology in Ghana and will put MTN Ghana at the forefront of technology and in the league of top mobile operators globally. 3.5G is the generic term used for the next generation of mobile communications systems that support the effective delivery of a range of data-orientated services. The technology also provides more efficient systems for the transmission of existing services such as voice, text and data, supporting far greater speeds than what is available today.

The Ag CEO Mazen Mroue said, “I am extremely delighted to announce the roll out of the 3.5G technology which puts MTN on the road to providing leading services to our valued customers.”

The Chief Technical Officer, Eben Albertyn and the Chief Marketing Officer, George Andah, took turns to explain the new technology and the benefits it will bring to MTN Customers.

‘I am especially delighted because the new technology being introduced today will enhance the overall network experience for our cherished customers as it will provide more efficient systems for the transmission of existing voice, text and data services,’ said George Andah.

‘While we continue to increase investments in network infrastructure and working in partnerships with all stakeholders, we are excited that the introduction of this new technology will complement initiatives aimed at improving the overall network quality.’ he continued.

‘3.5G brings with it a new suite of exciting multimedia services such as video streaming, games, music videos, sports, news and more. ’’ Mr Andah continued.

MTN will offer at this phase of the launch, mobile broadband and video calling that will enable fast data speed and allow users to see and talk to people they call in real time. More services will be introduced by MTN in due course.

The media was given the opportunity to experience the 3.5 G technology in a specially-constructed booth that will soon be placed at selected locations in the capital, to enable more subscribers to also experience the new technology.

MTN Ghana had recently launched services in the telecommunications industry including segmented tariffs, WECA (West and Central Africa) tariffs, BlackBerry and Seamless Roaming. MTN is currently the biggest cellular telecom operator in Ghana.

David Venn (left) of Vodafone Ghana and Jay Xu Junjie (right) of Huawei Technologies Ltd.

Mr. David Venn, Chief Executive Officer of Ghana Telecom Company and Mr. Jay Xu Junjie, of Huawei Technologies signed for Vodafone Ghana and Huawei Technologies respectively.

Vodafone last year acquired 70 per cent shares in Ghana Telecom.

The contract is one of a series that Vodafone Ghana plans to sign with partner organizations over the next couple of months to provide equipment and service.

The technology will significantly enhance network quality and increase customer satisfaction on the Onetouch network. It will enable  customers enjoy ultra high-speed internet access and the ability to make video calls, use rich multimedia content on their handsets including the ability to send video clips and music at the touch of a button.

The expansion of the network to is expected to be completed within the next 18 months.

The new network code allotted by the industry regulator, National Communications Authority (NCA), will take effect from January 15,2009. In his address the Chief Marketing Officer, George Andah disclosed that the allocation of a new network code was to enable MTN respond to the continued interest in its products and services..

He said ‘the ever-increasing support from customers keen to benefit from MTN’s superior value proposition has occasioned MTN ‘s application for a new network code.’

‘While MTN remains grateful for the continued support from Ghanaians, it is also important to plan in advance and make room for even more customers to enjoy the superior experience MTN is committed to providing for its customers,’ George Andah added.

The Chief Executive Officer of MTN, Brett Goschen, said the introduction of the new code was to give potential customers a chance to enjoy MTN’s services. He said MTN would soon launch a 3.5G Network to provide high data speed and internet access in addition to numerous and innovative products and services. The company would also increase investment in capital expenditure including building a countrywide fibre network to improve the overall network quality.

To make calls or send SMS, customers are required to add the relevant prefix to the number being dialed, e.g 024 and the customer’s unique number(024 1000000 or 054 and the customer’s unique number(054 1000000).For International calls, customers will have to dial the country code, the relevant prefix and customer’s unique number; e.g. +233 24 1000000 or +233 54 1000000.

Zain

1 August 2008 – Nairobi, Kenya – Zain Group, the leading telecommunications mobile operator servicing over 50 million customers in 22 countries across the Middle East and Africa, today announced it has re-branded its entire African operations from Celtel to Zain (www.zain.com). The move coincides with the linking of the world’s first borderless mobile service ‘One Network’ across two continents.

14 country operations across Africa will immediately rebrand to Zain, namely: Burkina Faso, Chad, the Republic of Congo, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Niger, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia. Zain will launch its mobile operation in Ghana later in 2008.

At a press conference held in Nairobi, Dr. Saad Al Barrak, Zain Group’s Chief Executive Officer, noted:  “By rebranding to Zain, we are bringing together our African and Middle East operations under a single, strong and unique identity. We believe the Zain brand provides an optimal platform upon which we can build a top 100 global brand with the ultimate goal of better serving our customers. It builds upon the success of our African operations and will propel the Zain Group towards becoming one of the top ten global mobile telecommunications companies by 2011.”

To mark the launch of its new colourful identity across Africa, Zain also announced the creation of the world’s first cross-continental borderless network, extending and linking its ‘One Network’ service between Africa and the Middle East. The service will be available to 500 million people stretching from the west coast of Africa to the Middle East, covering an area larger than the United States of America. One Network allows Zain customers affordable cross-border communications, helping friends and families stay connected.

“This truly is a defining moment in the history of global telecommunications. The connecting of One Network across two continents demonstrates how under one brand, Zain is able to offer enhanced mobile telephony services. Going forward it will now be easier and more affordable for people to keep in touch and support cross-continent trade and enterprise. This is the essence of the Zain brand promise to create ‘A wonderful world’” commented Dr Al Barrak.

From today, all Zain customers (pre-paid and post-paid) in Africa and the Middle East using ‘One Network’ will enjoy the benefits of being treated as a ‘local’ customer wherever they are. Customers can make calls and send messages at local rates when communicating with a travelling Zain customer who will receive incoming calls free-of-charge and be able to make calls back home at local rates. Pre-paid customers can also top up their phones with recharge cards bought from either their home country or more than one million outlets available in one of the 15 One Network countries. The One Network service is automatically activated upon crossing the geographic border into one of the countries, with no prior registration required or sign-up fee.

Chris Gabriel, CEO Zain in Africa said “We are confident that our African customers will embrace the vibrant and colourful Zain identity. As one brand, we will be better positioned to offer customers more innovative products and services alongside the best network coverage on the continent.”

The rebranding of Celtel comes less than a year after the Zain brand became the Group’s master corporate brand that was successfully launched across its Middle Eastern markets.

MTN Ghana

Scancom Ltd. has now become a member of the MTN Group. The MTN Group brings with it, a wealth of experience and innovation in the telecommunications industry. Connecting over 44 million people in 21 countries throughout Africa and the Middle East, MTN is sure to further enrich Ghana’s telecom market

Mobile Mania
Mobile telephony is now firmly entrenched as the predominant mode of telephony in almost every African nation. By 2001 mobile subscriber numbers had increased at such a rate that they had overtaken those of fixed lines, making Africa the first region of the world to achieve this. By the end of 2003, mobile users are estimated to have reached 51 millions, according to ITU, and are forecast to grow to 67 millions by the end of 2005. In just the first few years of the new millennium, Africa has added more telecommunication users than in the whole of the previous century. Africa is currently the world region with the highest level of mobile communications growth. The vast majority of mobile users use GSM technologies.

Evolving A Uniquely African Approach
The business and operating climate in the African telecommunication sector has radically shifted. Firstly, market liberalization has helped shape an environment which fosters competition. Regulatory bodies are being established, to oversee the introduction of services, resolve disputes, and support competition. A glance across Africa’s mobile landscape illustrates the benefits of competition. The only countries with less mobile than fixed telephone subscribers in Sub-Saharan Africa at the end of 2003 were either those without mobile networks or without mobile competition. Mobile competition has benefited even the poorest countries. The Democratic Republic of Congo and Ethiopia both have per capita incomes of around US$100, yet the Democratic Republic of Congo has a mobile penetration of around 2% – some 15 times greater than Ethiopia’s, which stood at 0.13% at the end of 2003.The difference? Whilst Ethiopia has only 1 GSM operator, the Democratic Republic of Congo has 3 GSM networks, in addition to non GSM cellular networks.

Pan Regional Giants
Competition alone is not the key. The emergence over the last 3-4 years of African based, pan-regional mobile operators, is another significant reason behind mobile’s growth. The spheres of mobile influence of these strategic investors now reach across the continent. It is these operators, such as Vodacom, Orascom Telecom and MTN who have been able to apply uniquely African approaches onto the markets on which they operate. They also provide competition – not just any competition, but their presence ensures that competition is of a suitable quality to help stimulate market growth. “Operators such as MTN or Vodacom have the knowledge of operating in different African markets which they can then duplicate onto other markets in the region,” explains Michael Minges, Head of ITU’s Market, Economics and Finance Unit and lead author of the 2004 African Telecommunications Indicators report. “But crucially they also possess a vital zeal to spread the benefits of mobile communications across the region, and with this enthusiasm they have helped created a mobile revolution in Africa.”

As Africa’s telecoms investment climate has shifted, in turn, potential investors in the region are becoming more willing to make concessions which they would not have done 10 years ago. Vendors, looking to grow in new markets as they face saturation elsewhere, are increasingly tailoring their approach to the region, developing special lower-cost solutions to suit the needs of the region.

Harnessing Approaches that Work
Mobile operators in Africa have been quick to see the benefits of prepaid services. In a region where per-capita incomes are low, and payment upfront in cash is generally the preferred means of payment, prepaid services are ideally suited. They reduce the risk of bad credit to operators while exposing a whole new consumer group to telecommunications services; those who would not normally have qualified for postpaid mobile services or fixed lines. A growing number of African networks operate only as prepaid, and four out of every five African subscribers – almost twice the global average – use prepaid services. Prepaid services have been further adapted to offer mobile ‘payphone’ services. It is tapping into these regional specific approaches, and accessing new sectors of the population who have not previously been exposed to telecommunications, which have helped to drive up mobile usage in recent years, and will continue to do so.

How Far do Mobile’s Benefits Really Extend?
Despite its suitability for the African market, how far has mobile really gone in terms of extending the benefits of telecommunications? Levels of mobile penetration vary considerably across the region, ranging from under 1% in Ethiopia to 74.7% in Réunion at the end of 2003, indicating that, for much of the region there is still huge scope for growth. Mobile technology has, however, gone further than any other communications technology in Africa in terms of bridging the digital divide. Mobile’s ease of payment means that services extend to segments of urban and rural populations who previously would not have been able to afford them, and where demand is high. Mobile infrastructure also extends way beyond that of fixed-line, into rural and ‘universal access’ markets, something to which wireless technology is innately more suited than the traditional fixed-line. Nevertheless, network coverage remains low with only an estimated 50% of Sub-Saharan Africa covered by a mobile signal, indicating that there is still a large untapped market, provided operators can be encouraged to extend network coverage.

Boosting Local Jobs
Mobile technology has also spawned a number of new employment possibilities. Prepaid card sellers or mobile resellers, such as Nigeria’s ‘umbrella people’ so called as they use umbrellas to provide shade whilst plying their wares – are now commonplace. Mobile reselling is a boom business – umbrella people, for example, have reportedly been able to exhaust 2-3 MTN prepaid cards, each valued at roughly USD11.60, per day.

Affordability of service is still a key issue – if services are unaffordable for potential new users, then this sector of the market cannot offer prospects for expansion. After a period of rapid mobile uptake, the mobile growth curve is set to continue. ITU forecasts mobile subscriber growth of 17% during 2004. To maintain the momentum of growth however, operators – as elsewhere in the world – will need to look to new areas of growth to attract new users.

Tapping into New Growth Streams Data
Applications such as WAP are beginning to surface. One of the most publicized examples is of Senegal’s Manoni, which launched a service to enable farmers to query databases on pricing information, utilizing WAP. The service is used by over 1 000 users.

Meanwhile, SMS (short message service) usage is showing signs of a fast uptake in Africa. While the majority of SMS traffic tends to be for mundane communications, SMS has also been harnessed for a number of innovative, region-specific applications. In Zambia, mobile operator Celtel has launched a mobile payment system whereby users can make payments using SMS, with a code identifying the payee.

Applications such as mobile banking have the potential to make a major impact in Africa, a region where cash payments are preferred and where people do not generally carry credit cards.

Migration to 3G?
A lack of fixed-line infrastructure as well as low PC penetration means that the potential for mobile Internet is considerable. Indeed 3G services have already been launched in a number of African countries, including Angola. Although there are no 3G networks in operation on the continent, network upgrades have enabled service launches. Recently Ericsson was awarded Africa’s first EDGE (Enhanced Data Rate for Global Evolution) contract, to provide the technology to Ghana’s Scancom. Deploying EDGE will provide a migration path toward 3G, and enable Scancom to assess demand for enhanced data services. High speed or not, mobiles can still allow users to access the Internet “We are seeing users using regular GSM networks to gain access to the Internet, ” says Minges “It is certainly slow, but in areas where no alternative exists it is the only way to gain Internet access.” Given this, a logical technology to deploy would be GPRS (General Packet Radio Services), which could provide a higher speed access solution. Yet operators have still to embark on a large-scale rollout of the technology – by the end of 2003 GPRS had only been launched in three African markets. “Operators should be exploiting the potential of GPRS ” explains Minges “Given the obvious thirst for Internet access, GPRS could provide users with Internet access at speeds equivalent to dial up access as well as new revenue streams for operators.”

Universal Service Market
The Universal service market offers some surprisingly vibrant growth opportunities. Cautious of extending the reach of mobile services into rural areas, where service uptake may not be as rapid as in urban areas, operators have been slow in seizing the prospects these markets offer. “Operators should see these markets as a growth opportunity” says Minges. “Providing a service such as a community payphone can generate over 3 times the monthly revenue of a conventional user.” While services such as community payphones clearly do not provide a boost for handset sales, they do mean that levels of mobile traffic are kept high. Mobile initiatives in the universal services area include the Grameen Phone initiative. This initiative replicates the Grameen Telecom’s village phone programme running in Bangladesh, which currently has over 40 000 village phone operators. The Grameen initiative in Uganda operates in partnership with MTN Uganda and provides low cost mobile services into poor rural areas.

The Death of the Fixed-line?
Providing that operators maintain a focus on service affordability, as well as looking to new growth areas, the future for mobile looks very positive. But what of fixed-line growth, which has been almost static beside the burgeoning mobile market? Total numbers of fixed lines are forecast to reach 30 millions by the end of 2005, according to ITU. Although by this point the number of fixed lines will be dwarfed by mobile, fixed-line growth will nevertheless have been steady, increasing by around 6-10% each year. The key to fixed-line’s growth lies with wireless technologies, and it is only through these technologies that fixed-line can ‘fight back’. Offering fixed-line services over fixed wireless access (FWA) networks offers all the advantages of mobile – they are cheaper to install than conventional copper wire networks – but are also attractive in their ability to provide high data speeds. It is this ability to provide broadband which needs to be exploited, to leverage the one advantage fixed-line services has over mobile.

Fitting the Market’s Needs
Fixed-line services will also need to be adapted to meet the needs of the market, paying attention to areas which have helped mobile grow – in particular the ability to prepay for calls. The suitability of FWA networks means that they are already being deployed in certain countries in Africa. In Nigeria, for example, by mid 2003, new fixed wireless networks accounted for some 30% of all fixed lines. If the Nigerian experience can be duplicated across other countries, and fixed wireless technologies can be harnessed to revamp traditional fixed-line services, then there may still be hope for Africa’s fixed-line market.

Wireless Way Forward …
Fixed, Mobile or Internet, Africa’s ICT future is definitely a wireless one. In the absence of fixed-line networks, in addition to a lack of PCs, Mobile phones are likely to becoming increasingly used as means to access the internet, and in the immediate future it is mobile technologies such as GPRS combined with wireless technologies such as WiFi, which are likely to drive the mobile Internet market. With a number of the region’s mobile networks ready for GPRS, it is only a matter of time until operators keen to address stagnant levels of ARPU (Average Revenue per User) – begin to push GPRS as a means of accessing the Internet.

Fixed-line operators must also look to wireless options to diversify and extend their service range. As well as voice services, fixed wireless technology will also allow operators to offer highspeed broadband Internet access, and this could well prove to be the one antidote to declining fixed revenues.

Vested Interests in Africa’s Mobile Future
The stakeholders in Africa’s mobile industry will each have their own roles to play in shaping the future mobile market. Regulators and policy makers can act decisively to ensure that competition friendly policies are encouraged, such as keeping license fees to a minimum, and that any lack of transparencies in the business climate are addressed. Regulators should step in to make the prospect of rural expansion a more attractive one to operators, such as by including – and enforcing – higher rollout obligations for new market entrants, or by providing incentives such as lowering of asymmetric interconnect rates to entice existing players further into areas which previously had no network coverage. Operators themselves should be encouraged to share infrastructure where possible to keep their costs down and encourage competition.

Manufacturers must continue finding methods to keep infrastructure costs as low as possible, as well as tailoring their approach to address the needs of the region – such as looking at tailoring solutions to low ARPU users. Vendor financing agreements, with the backing of governments and investment bodies will also encourage manufacturers to provide network enhancement and expansion.

With around 51m mobile subscribers in a market of 800m, Africa offers tremendous growth potential, and by continuing to deploy and adapt an approach which fits the needs of the market, then the mobile growth curve looks set to continue.

by ITU Africa

A mobile user in Ghana

What can be described as the GSM evolution in Ghana, started essentially as way back as November 1996 with the launch of the first GSM service by Scancom Limited under the brand name of Spacefon, now known as Spacefon Areeba.

It would be important to start this piece by enlightening the reader a bit about the major players in Ghana’s GSM scenario.

MOBITEL

Mobitel, (a service of Milicom Ghana Limited) held sway in Ghana as the premier mobile phone service. It operated an analogue network that was very popular amongst the rich and elite in the society. It was more or less a show of class to own a ‘mobitel’. The brand awareness was so intense that till date, many people still refer to any mobile phone as ‘mobitel’. This was in the early 90′s.

SPACEFON AREEBA

In came Spacefon, with its post-paid package for Ghana’s first GSM service in November 1996 and the rest as they say is history. First was the thrill that came with the new service’s Caller ID (Note that Caller ID is an integral feature of GSM). Spacefon’s service gained more and more popularity by the day. New features like Call Forwarding, Call Holding, International Roaming, Short Messaging Service (SMS) was soon made available to the increasing number of subscribers.

In 1998, Spacefon launched its prepaid service and christened it SNAP. It came with many of the features of a digital mobile phone service, with the convenience of being prepaid. It became more popular, especially amongst the youth population.

ONETOUCH GSM

In the year 2000, Ghana Telecom introduced its GSM service, tagged OneTouch GSM. It however failed to make the necessary impact simply because its starter packs were not readily available. The few in circulation were hoarded and sold as high as 1 million cedis (about $110). Despite the scarcity of OneTouch GSM’s SIM packs, it was still much in demand because it was very easy to connect to OneTouch Lines than any other network and also, it became a ‘status symbol’ since it was only available to the rich, and high-ranking government officials. At this time, it was a big deal to have your mobile phone number start with a ‘020′. (020 is the network access code for subscribers on OneTouch GSM).

Note that at this time, OneTouch GSM’s subscribers were unable access any value added service like SMS, VoiceMail, Call Holding/Forwarding. It was plain voice calls.

Ghana Telecom

LIKE Nigeria, interconnection problem is a source of worry for telecommunications operators and subscribers in Ghana. The country has about five operators with one of them offering both GSM and fixed line services. They are Ghana Telecom, the state operator which offers both GSM and fixed services; Scancom, the leading GSM operator with its Spacefon brand; Kasapa with its Kasapa brand and Milicom which has the Buzz GSM phone brand. Untill recently, the brand was known as Mobitel.

However, unlike Nigeria where interconnect appears to be a web of confusion, Ghana’s interconnect problem is between the National Telephone company and the GSM operators. While connection amongst the GSM operators is good, the same cannot be said of calls between the GSM networks and the Ghana Telecom network. Most of the subscribers on Ghana Telecom network find it difficult calling GSM subscribers.

But the most difficult currently is for calls between the Ghana Telecom network and Spacefon. Spacefon is the dorminant GSM network in Ghana with over 120,000 lines. It is owned principally by some Lebanese businessmen who floated Scancom in 1996 to offer analogue Mobile services. It was later upgraded to GSM around 1999 to take advantage of the Ghanaian government”s desire to bring telecommunication to its people.

Spacefon has over the months been engaged in a war of words with the Ghana Telecom over the lack of interconnect between their networks. Spacefon thinks that Ghana Telecom wants to sabotage it by refusing to open its network to it. For Ghana Telecom however, the problem is lack of interconnect pipes to accommodate the traffic from Spacefon which is the leading GSM operator in the country.

It denies any attempt at blocking traffic from Spacephone. In the face of the arguments between Ghana Telecom and Spacefon, the National Communications Authority NCA, which regulates telecommunications services in Ghana remains adamant. On several occasions, it has invited both operators to a round table but has not been able to resolve the problem. Observers say it may have decided to keep a blind eye on the problems after it has failed to resolve it. Ghana Telecom”s GSM, One Touch, is however the first choice of Ghanaian subscribers.

One Touch has perfect interconnect with the Ghana Telecom Fixed lines which are widespread all through the country. Its interconnect with other GSM operators has also improved in recent months. But like NITEL, since Ghana Telecom launched its service some three years ago, it has starved Ghanaian subscribers of its SIM cards. It launched with an 80,000 capacity network which has not been enlarged ever since.

The result is that while subscribers crave for One Touch lines, the company do not have any to sell. Today, while Spacefon sells its SIMs for about 170,000 cedis(about N3400) One Touch sells its SIMs for about 750,000 cedis (about N15,000). The third GSM operator, Bass also easily connects to other networks including Ghana Telecom. Bass has limited coverage. Its licence provides that it covers Takoradi, Cape Coast Accra and Kumasi.

It has a little over 60,000 subscribers. The fourth operator Kasapa, also has limited coverage as provided for by its licence. Its interconnect with the other operators is also good.

Kasapa is owned 80 per cent by Hutchson, an American company based in Hungary. The fixed line terrain in the Ghanaian telecom market is no doubt dominate by Ghana Telecom. But a private operator, Westel has brought some competition into this segment of the market. Westel is however hampered by its problems with the telecom regulatory authority, the NCA.

These problems are rooted in the company”s history.S Westel is an offshoot of the communications department of Ghana National Petroleum Corporation, GNPC. When Ghana”s telecommunications sector was deregulated, it dawned on the management of the GNPC that the company had a strong enough structure to run telecommunications services independent of the GNPC.

Thus, Mr Tsatsu Tsikata, who was then Chief Executive of GNPC floated Westel with a lot of American interest. But the company was not to meet the licence conditions set for it by the NCA. Part of the conditions gave it targets for subscriber volumes within the first year of its operations. Unfortunately, Westel could not meet these targets. And in accordance with the rules of the NCA, it had to pay a penalty of about $25 million.

In the past years, Westel has not been able to pay this fine which has accumulated to more than $35 million. In December last year, Westel had to negotiate the debt with the NCA and seek some waivers. The NCA granted the request and reduced the debt to $25 million. Westel paid part of this and has been unable to pay the balance in the new year.

This problem has virtually removed Westel from the competition in the fixed line market in Ghana. It as had to contend with its few subscribers to survive. But most Ghanaian subscribers say that Westel”s services are excellent. The company has good interconnectivity with all the mobile operators and even with its rival Ghana Telecom. No doubt the Ghanaian telecommunications terrain is as volatile as Nigeria’s.