“We are focusing on creating a fun and sticky mobile flirting community for people to chat, blog, share photos and experiences, vote. We expanded the product with interest likes function that help customers express their interests and find new people who share the same interests. This strengthens the communications between customers and helps to build stronger relationships.

Selected developer API

In June 2011, Eskimi will also announce API for selected developers to build products for 2 million customers in Eskimi. API development will be different from Facebook like cooperation – developers will need no marketing budget and will get recommendations on what to build from Eskimi team.

“We will make a selected developer system and will create a dialog between us and developer community that will help focus their energy the right way. We will do all marketing for new mobile web applications. It will be different from Facebook application development – the developer will know what to develop and get a lot of marketing support, so this will reduce their risk to minimum”,- Eskimi CEO Vytas Paukstys explained the differences of their work with developers.

“We would like to especially invite Nigerian developers to contact us and discuss partnerships. We have over 1 million customers from Nigeria alone, therefore we see a huge potential for Nigerian start-ups to launch their products to already existing and big audience”,- stressed the point Eskimi CEO Vytas Paukstys.

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The event had just started when I arrived at the 6th floor of Oksart Place on Ring Road Central in Accra, Ghana. I was quickly ushered into the spacious orange-themed conference room. Partners were present from several African countries.

Esoko partners listening attentively in the conference room known as Damba Meeting Room

The Introduction

Members of Esoko’s tech teams (geeks, programmers, managers) introduced themselves in a rather humorous manner that sent waves of laughter across the room. They kept unleashing their funny nicknames that one would have imagined would be confined to the ears of the esoteric Esokoninis.

Esoko tech team with Sudan Partner

The Esokoninis

Esokoninis are not citizens of a former Soviet republic. That’s the informal demonym for Esoko staff. They came across as boisterous, intelligent and creative minds turning the wheels of Esoko. I chatted with a few of them and the information gathered contributed to the subsequent write-ups about Esoko.

The Graphs

Next were slideshows that shared the decision-making processes that go into designing an Esoko application. Some details about this would be shared in subsequent posts.

The Drama

Esoko went to the extent of dramatising some of their processes with a rendition titled “A Day In The Life Of Our CEO”. The largely fictional drama explained some of the iteration of Esoko.

Another drama was when Mlen-Too Wesley, Esoko Lead Developer, took the stage to announce a new Esoko feature. His presentation style Apple’s Steve Jobs written all over it. His engaging presentation focused on iFrame, “a powerful content embedding technology developed exclusively by Esoko”. Launching in 2012, iFrame would allow content with content and enable partners to display Esoko content on their respective websites. I was almost hooked until Mlen-Too Wesley rescued me in a chat later, explaining that the entire presentation was a practical joke based on a real event with an Esoko client.

Esoko tech team with Madagascar Partner

The Esoko Hub

Esoko is housed in a multi-storey building at the beginning of Ring Road Central in Accra, with the 3rd to 6th floors reserved for its exclusive use. The building, known as Oksart Place, is a stone’s throw from the iconic BusyInternet, where Esoko was nurtured.You cannot miss the orange colour of Esoko’s logo in the office spaces, conference rooms, lighting and interior decoration. Somehow, it was heart-warming that a dot-com was this established and expansive in Ghana.

Esoko is a mobile integrated platform used by projects, businesses & individuals to exchange market info via SMS. Built, building and operating out of Accra.

Thanks for taking time to consume this appetizer. The main course would be served very soon and would include some exciting technical and business details about Esoko.

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3. Interview: Ad-Connect spearheading mobile learning in West Africa

Ovi Life Tools offers a wide range of information services covering healthcare, agriculture, education and entertainment which address the needs of consumers and helps improve their economic prosperity and quality of life. It is a key part of Nokia’s overall strategy to connect the next billion people by providing access to locally relevant services on affordable mobile devices.

Nokia’s head of Mobile Phone Services, Dieter May, said: “This is another important milestone for Nokia as we continue to expand our services in emerging markets. Farmers will be able to check market prices without travelling long distances, people will be able to find important information to stay healthy and students will be able to learn English and improve their general knowledge at their own pace. All of this on easy-to-use and affordable mobile phones.”

From today, people in Nigeria will have access to a wide range of services and information on their mobile phones through Nokia’s Ovi Life Tools. Services available include:

• Healthcare services: Mother and childcare, health & fitness and disease information.
• Agriculture services: Market prices, news & advice and weather.
• Education services: Learn English, acquire general knowledge and access exam results.
• Entertainment services: Football results, music, news alerts, horoscopes and jokes.

May continued: “We have made sure that the service is locally relevant. The agriculture service provides prices on 25 different commodities including cocoa, beniseed (sesame) and fish to name a few, and covers all 36 states in Nigeria. But people also want to have fun, so in football crazed Nigeria we have made sure that the news and entertainment service includes the latest results from the European leagues and from the national team. Affordability is also critical. With almost 30 percent of the population below the poverty line, every cent makes a huge difference to people’s household budgets, so we have set out to build a service that is able to further improve their quality of life for just 1 Euro per month.”

Nokia’s Ovi Life Tools in Nigeria will be offered on the Nokia 2690 and on the Nokia C1-01 through two of Nigeria’s largest operators, Zain/Airtel and Glo Mobile, at the affordable price of NGN 250 (EUR 1.25) for the agriculture service and NGN 200 (EUR 1) per month for all other subscriptions. More devices will be added in the future.

Nokia Ovi Life Tools will be available countrywide in Nigeria in three languages – English, Hausa and Pidgin English.

About Nokia
At Nokia, we are committed to connecting people. We combine advanced technology with personalized services that enable people to stay close to what matters to them. Every day, more than 1.3 billion people connect to one another with a Nokia device – from mobile phones to advanced smartphones and high-performance mobile computers. Today, Nokia is integrating its devices with innovative services through Ovi (www.ovi.com), including music, maps, apps, email and more. Nokia’s NAVTEQ is a leader in comprehensive digital mapping and navigation services, while Nokia Siemens Networks provides equipment, services and solutions for communications networks globally.

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Chris: My name is Chris Umunnabuike, Training and development Manager. AD-CONNECT Ghana.  AD-CONNECT is the West African Dealer of Mobile Learning, Publishing, Delivery and Tracking solutions.

Oluniyi: When did AdConnect commence operations?

Chris: AD-CONNECT commense operation Aug, 2009. but Ithe company was registered in Ghana and Nigeria a month before the commensement of operation.

Oluniyi: Could explain the mobile learning services further? Who is the target market fot the service?

Chris: AD-CONNECT provides mobile learning and content publishing solutions to schools, corporations and governments. For now we are focusing on the Tertiary level.

Oluniyi: Alright. How exactly does the mobile learning work? Please explain the process in simple terms.

Chris: Mobile learning is providing learning and training to students and workforce using hand-held devices which includes Mobile Phones, Pocket Pcs, Palms,  iPhones and any portable device and these have to be GRPS enabled mobile phones.

From left: Adiel Ntuk, CEO of AD-CONNECT, and Ammar Shami CEO of Abjad Jordan.

Oluniyi: Aside GPRS, are there any other special requirements for such mobile devices?

Chris: Yes, it has to be java enabled as well, because the system accepts voice, pictures, text, and audios as well. We also see good internal and and external memory slot as an added value to enable students handle more modules coming from various departments but AD-CONNECT platform is mobile based, so, it’s more of compressed to minimize memory consumption.

Oluniyi: Interesting. So how has the service been received so far and do you think Africa is really ready for this service?

Chris: Thanks. The service is embracing great complements, only that people want to see where it has been implememnted already in the African school. Meanwhile, we have conducted a pilot project with Central University College Ghana, they’re so excited about it, and want to get it going for their school. We’ll deploy at CUC any moment from Next 2 weeks. Also, University of Nsukka in Nigeria, in conjunction with ITBS are receiving a pilot project as we speak in Nigeria. They have also shown great interest in the technology. Most importantly, it was the University of Ghana that referred us to Central, to implement it their first, then if it works for them Legon will then come on board.

Oluniyi: In a nutshell, you are convinced that Africa is ready to embrace mobile learning.

Chris: Yes, very ready. Our technology has a tracking system that tells you what the receiver is doing with the contents delivered to him, you can track everything. That is, content development, content delivery, and tracking.

Oluniyi: Where do you see AdConnect regarding mobile learning in 5 years’ time?

Chris: For now AD-CONNECT has a franchise for Ghana and Nigeria, but in 5 years, I see AD-CONNECT  taking care of the whole African Nations in Mobile Learning. We want the public to know that AD-CONNECT Mobile Learning is a Philantropic help to help build a better and affordable education to African schools.

Oluniyi: If AdConnect is philanthropic, what is your aim with running the service? What do you intend to achieve?

Chris: We intend to boost the standard of education in Africa, and to reward ourselve with a great legacy that will stand in the history of ”Education For All’ campaign. And to give our families a good reason to life as well.

Oluniyi: Sounds noble. What African countries do you plan to hit next, after Ghana and Nigeria?

Chris: We are looking at Kenya, because we’ve receive some calls on their interest in Mobile Learning. and then we look at Cote D’voire as well.

Oluniyi: Aside mobile learning, expatiate on other mobile related services offered by AdConnect.

Chris: for now, we offer bulk sms services in Ghana and Nigeria, Mobile Voting, Mobile survey, and we are resalers to McAfee Anti-virus as well as installations of mobile applications.

Oluniyi: How would you compare your company’s achievements in Ghana and Nigeria?

Chris: I think the competition is the same for now, but looking at the population in Nigeria and the number of the universities there, I think the future holds a great deal for us in Nigeria.

Oluniyi: Is Chris into other online venture aside AdConnect?

Chris: I have my commitments with AD-CONNECT on that matter for now, but I have many other plans that are online venture related, which I kept on hold for now.

Oluniyi: Nice. What does Chris due at his leisure time?

Chris: I love spending time with my family. And I spend the rest of my leisure time watching soccer.

Oluniyi: Times for your time Chris and all the very best with your endeavours.

Chris: Thank you Oluniyi.

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A snapshot of thegrid.co.za homepage

Up to now the two million existing members of  The Grid  “in South Africa, Nigeria and Tanzania – were only able to chat and share content with other Grid members from their own country. Members could also chat to their Google Talk, MSN Messenger and Yahoo! Messenger contacts from The Grid.

With the new release, however, Grid members “ irrespective of country or network operator “can become friends, chat to each other or share, rate and comment on photos and videos posted by the community.

The Grid was originally launched in South Africa in 2008 and has since developed into one of the leading South African social networks. In 2009 The Grid launched into both Tanzania and Nigeria “both developing African countries with high volumes of mobile web traffic.

The international expansion will make it possible for anyone with a cellphone to sign up and join the social network “at no subscription cost. Operations will be based in South Africa with the infrastructure hosted locally by Vodacom Business in their Midrand Data Centre.

Says Phillip Boshielo, Executive Head at Vodacom Ventures:  “This international roll-out represents yet another important milestone in the development of The Grid as a leading social network. It’s also a milestone that I am particularly proud of. By making The Grid available to everyone everywhere, we’re harnessing the full power of the mobile web to create a truly global meeting place.”

The Grid can be accessed through its mobi site at http://wap.thegrid.co.za. Membership is free and members only pay standard data rates to their service provider.

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Etisalat CEO, Steven Evans said that with the latest technology, customers on Etisalat network will have the benefit of increased broadband and enhanced data services. According to him, “submarine fibre optic cable will enhance Etisalat’s broadband capacity thus leading to improved data services to the benefit of our customers. Our subscription to the new technology is a demonstration of our commitment to delivery of superior service, which we are known for globally. Our customers remain the core of our business hence we are always keen to deploy the best technology available for their advantage.”

Etisalat has been consistent in raising the stake in quality service delivery since the launch of its commercial operations in the country in October 2008. Though a late entrant into the dynamic Nigerian telecommunications market, Etisalat has scored many firsts in its less than two years of operations. The deal with Main One is another first for Etisalat Nigeria.

Main One is wholly African-owned with a vision to expand the much needed capacity on the African continent and reduce costs of broadband communications across the Continent. With landing stations in Nigeria and Ghana and branching units in Morocco, Canary Islands, Senegal and Ivory Coast, the cable will deliver unprecedented broadband capacity to West Africa, more than ten times what is currently available. With its cable system now turned on, Main One is poised to champion a communications revolution in Africa impacting businesses, governments and individuals by providing higher bandwidth and exceptional speeds at a lower cost.

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Opera browser on smartphones

Opera’s State of the Mobile Web Report, published monthly, provides information on the top global trends affecting the mobile Web. The full report is available from http://www.opera.com/smw/ (English only). In addition to a full review of Opera Mini on the iPhone, the report highlights global statistics and reviews the mobile browsing trends in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).

Global trends

• In April 2010, Opera Mini had more than 58.9 million users, a 6.6% increase from March 2010 and more than 152% compared to April 2009.
• Those 58.9 million people viewed more than 26.3 billion pages in April 2010. Since March, page views have gone up 1.6%. Since April 2009, page views have increased 203%.
• In April 2010, Opera Mini users generated over 398 million MB of data for operators worldwide. Since March, the data consumed went up by 0.6%. Data in Opera Mini is compressed by up to 90%. If this data were uncompressed, Opera Mini users would have viewed over 3.7 petabytes of data in April. Since April 2009, data traffic is up 164%.
• The top 10 countries for Opera Mini usage in April 2010 were: Russia, Indonesia, India, China, Ukraine, United States, South Africa, Nigeria, Vietnam and the United Kingdom. Due to Opera Mini on the iPhone launch, the United States leaped ahead of South Africa and Nigeria.

iPhone impact

• In Part 4 of this month’s report, we take a closer look at the impact of Opera Mini becoming available on the Apple iPhone.
• In April 2010, there were more than 2.6 million unique users of Opera Mini on the iPhone (from April 13-30).
• As predicted in last month’s report, the Apple iPhone is the #3 device used by Opera Mini users worldwide in the month of April 2010.
• Most likely due to the interest generated by Opera Mini’s new availability on the iPhone, the United States jumped from #8 to #6 in the top 10 countries list.
• The United States is ranked #1 in terms of Opera Mini users on the iPhone, and the iPhone is the #1 handset used by Opera Mini users in the United States, well ahead of BlackBerry (which previously occupied the top spot).
• The United Kingdom is ranked #4 in terms of Opera Mini users on the iPhone, and the iPhone is the 5th most popular handset used by Opera Mini users in the United Kingdom.
• Russia is ranked #7 in terms of Opera Mini users on the iPhone, but the iPhone is not one of the top 10 handsets in Russia according to Opera Mini usage.
• Countries outside of the top 10 where Opera Mini on the iPhone has become popular include: Japan, Germany, France, Canada, Netherlands, Italy and South Korea.

CIS trends

• In Part 3 of this month’s report we look at countries in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). The top 11 countries using Opera Mini in that region are Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Armenia, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Azerbaijan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan.
• Some numbers: From April 2009 to April 2010, page views in the top 11 countries of the CIS increased by 84%, unique users increased by 63% and data transferred increased by 97%.
• Growth rates in the CIS: Turkmenistan and Kyrgyzstan lead the top 11 countries of the region in terms of page-view growth (508,484.1% and 663.9%, respectively). Turkmenistan and Kyrgyzstan also lead the top 11 countries of the region in growth of unique users (194,769.2% and 551.2%, respectively). Armenia leads the top 11 countries of the region in page views per user, with each user browsing 1085 pages on average each month.
• In the CIS, the big winners (as usual) are Vkontakte, Mail.Ru, odnoklassniki.ru, Yandex and Google.
• Opera Mini users in the CIS generally prefer Nokia handsets, followed by Sony Ericsson and Samsung.

What we say

“While many iconic smartphones are superb web-browsing tools, today it is possible to make nearly every phone capable of browsing the Web gracefully,” said Jon von Tetzchner, Co-founder, Opera Software. “Because the number of mobile-web users will eventually dwarf wireline users, making the Web works flawlessly only on a handful of mobile devices is to turn our collective backs on more than a billion new users. We believe access to the Web is a universal right, and as more companies embrace developing sites for the wide spectrum of mobile-web users, we will come closer to that goal than ever before.”

About Opera Software ASA

Opera Software ASA has redefined web browsing for PCs, mobile phones and other networked devices. Opera’s cross-platform web-browser technology is
renowned for its performance, standards compliance and small size, while giving users a faster, safer and more dynamic online experience. Opera Software is headquartered in Oslo, Norway, with offices around the world. The company is listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol OPERA. Learn more about Opera at http://www.opera.com/

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The entire kit cost N18,650:

• HSDPA USB stick: N8,500
• MTN SIM: N150
• Airtime: N10,000 (24/7 monthly plan)

The MTN agent asked for an ID and passport photo. As I had no prior knowledge they would demand this, I was only fortunate that I always carried a driving licence and spare passport photos in my wallet everywhere I go, for times like this. Be informed. Also, I was made to sign a fine print containing their terms of service.

The device

MTN Nigeria 3G pack

Branded as MTN F@stlink E156G, the USB stick is essentially a Huawei E156G with the following specifications:

• HSDPA/UMTS 2100MHz – it can connect to just about any 3.5G cellular network in the world if it were unlocked.
• EDGE/GPRS/GSM 1900/1800/900/850 MHz – it can connect to just about any GSM cellular network in the world if it were unlocked.
• HSDPA service data rate up to 3.6Mbps – real life speeds would vary
• SMS service – users can send and receive text messages when using the bundled software
• Micro SD card slot – it can take a Micro SD of up to 4GB capacity and thus double as a USB drive
• Plug and play – there is no need to install software from a CD. The software bundled on the device would have to be installed though, for PCs and Macs.

Before you decide to buy, the device has the following system requirements:

• Windows 2000 SP4, Windows XP SP2, Windows Vista. I am safely assuming it would work well on Windows 7. Also, I got it to work on Ubuntu 9.10
• Mac OS X 10.4 and 10.5 with latest upgrades
• Hardware system should meet the recommended requirements for the installed OS version
• Display resolution: 800 x 600 and above
• Standard USB interface

The software
Branded MTN F@stlink, it offers 7 tabs, namely:

• Connection: this is where the user initiates a connection or disconnection to/from the MTN network
• Statistics: offers a detailed break-down of data usage and includes a graph
• Message: enables the user to send/receive text messages and manage existing messages
• Phonebook: an address book that saves contact details.. Record include Name, Mobile Number, Office Number, Home Number, Email address and Remarks.
• Airtime: enables the user to check and load airtime. It is divided into postpaid and prepaid, to cater for both market segments.
• Internet: a click on this loads the default web browser
• Bundle plan: enables the user to select which of the bundle plans to subscribe to, and check the status of an existing bundle. This service is for prepaid subscribers only. The confirmation is via a text message.

The bundles
MTN Nigeria offers 3 data bundles:

• 24/7 Monthly Plan: this is the ultimate plan from MTN and comes with a 3GB data cap but is available 24 hours every day within a 30 days period. It goes for N10,000 per month. This bundle is ideal for heavy users.
• Nite Plan: this is usable only from 10pm to 5am and also comes with a 3GB data limit but costs only N2,500 monthly. This bundle is ideal for surfers who have a day job and can afford to stay awake all night.
• 24 hours Daily: this is clearly targetted at the occasional web surfer and comes with a meagre 50MB data cap. It costs only N500.

The service
I subjected the mobile broadband service to a speed test at the time of writing using speedtest.net; the following screenshot shows the highest speed I got. Note that speedtest.com used Vodafone Ghana’s server for the test.

The results shown in the screenshot above just about represent an average of the several tests I carried out. It shows that MTN Nigeria offers a download speed of about 0.43 Mb/s and a miserable upload speed of 0.06Mb/s as well as a high latency of 366ms.

This means, upload heavy data using the mobile broadband service would be a slow experience and making phone/video calls via the Internet would be less than ideal due to the high latency as seen from the ping test.

The coverage
It is critical to confirm 3G coverage in your locality before opting for MTN’s mobile broadband service for therein lies the key to the advertised speeds. From the marketing flyer attached to the kit:

3G service is currently available in most part of Lagos, Abuja, Enugu, Port Harcourt, Kano, Benin, Ibadan, Kaduna, Onitsha, Aba, Asaba.

MTN also offers an extensive EDGE coverage that is even more nationwide. EDGE which offers a fairly fast connectivity is available where there is no 3G coverage.

The bad
The MTN mobile broadband service was not without hiccups, at the time of extensive use.

• Intermittent disconnections: The service simply went off occasionally and connection could be re-established by disconnecting and re-connecting from the network. At other times, the downtime lasted over an hour.
• SSL traffic: Occasionally, it was impossible to access secured websites. All access to URLs starting with https:// were in possible and thus secured chatting programs like Yahoo Messenger and Skype failed to connect too. This error typically occurred at mid-mornings.
• Not all websites were accessible: Even when the mobile broadband service was at its peak of performance, some websites were not accessible despite repeated attempts. The persistent error message was: “No suitable nodes are available to serve your request.” A work-around this was to use a proxy server.
• The offered data bundles are not very flexible as users’ choices are limited. Heavy users are forced to subscribed to the 24/7 monthly plan for N10,000 even if they would need less than 3GB monthly.
• It is difficult to know the status of usage after crossing the 1GB milestone. Checking your data usage via SMS thereafter does not offer an exact figure of used data but simply states that 2GB has been used. It is thus difficult for the user to know when usage is getting close to the 3GB limit.

The verdict
MTN Nigeria’s mobile broadband service offers high-speed internet connectivity much of the time and is worth buying where mobile connectivity is needed or fixed broadband options are not available provided the user can live with the few annoyances highlighted above.

Note: it is possible to enjoy the broadband service from MTN without buying their F@stlink modem. One could either browse on the (smart)phone itself or use it as a modem. When using the phone as a modem, the user would need the following:

• a 3.5G-capable mobile phone
• modem driver & dialling software: these are typically provided on a CD bundled with the phone, by the phone manufacturer, or can be downloaded via the Internet
• a means of connectivity the phone to a computer: whilst bluetooth is usable, USB is ideal. Infrared is archaic.
• an MTN data bundle subscription

Backstory*:

• I have used the MTN Mobile Broadband service extensively before buying their F@stlink modem, using Nokia smartphones as modem and have experienced the high speed in Lagos, Ibadan and Kaduna. EDGE worked in Zaria.
• MTN branded complimentary gift items accompanied the broadband kit: a pen and a writing pad.
• I did not have enough time to read the terms before signing and so not sure about what it contains.

*The info in the “backstory” section, are what I considered too trivial to add into the main body of the review but useful enough to share with you.

Did you find this review useful, feel free to share this blog with others. Do you have an additions or questions about this review, add these using the comments area.

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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.

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Africa

In South Africa, Nokia Siemens Networks selected AIRCOM to provide 2G network optimisation consultation services. These services included both pre- and post-analysis drive testing, capacity planning, site verification and frequency planning. AIRCOM’s expertise was also used to assist in the planning of more than 4,500 cell sites across South Africa in a limited time duration, whilst maintaining the necessary quality levels.

Nokia Siemens Networks also turned to AIRCOM to assist in improving 2G mobile network quality in Nigeria. AIRCOM delivered a range of services to NSN, including drive testing consultancy and Line of Sight (LoS) transmission surveys to optimise network throughput and minimise dropped calls.

“There are now, on average, four mobile operators in each African country, so competition is fierce,” said Fahd Burki – Director EOT, Nokia Siemens Networks Nigeria. “African subscribers do not tolerate poor service quality. We therefore chose to work with AIRCOM to help drive network performance improvements and benefit from its vast knowledge of the African mobile market and competitive pricing tariffs.”

“Africa still has vast growth potential across its wireless communications market,” said Graham Kemp, Regional CEO, Africa, for AIRCOM. “African mobile operators are acutely aware of this and are focusing on driving the best possible service quality to their

customers. By optimising 2G voice and SMS delivery, African operators are laying the best possible foundations for future growth, minimising cost and reducing churn.”

About AIRCOM International

AIRCOM is an independent provider of network and data management tools and services. The company specialises in end-to-end network planning, sharing, outsourcing and OSS optimisation for IP and cellular networks.

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2. Mobile Web usage in Africa grows nearly 170%
3. Vodacom’s The Grid goes global

Interactive Intelligence

Dave Paulding, Interactive Intelligence’s regional sales director for UK, Middle East and Africa says that connected consumers in Africa are driving the demand for call centres in the banking industry.

The banking sector in Africa, particularly in Nigeria and Kenya, are implementing call centres for the first time.  It is interesting to consider why they are doing this now, when banks in South Africa and other parts of the world embraced the call centre revolution 10-15 years ago.

Nigeria and Kenya’s growing economies and relative stability provide part of the picture, but another important factor is that African consumers are more connected.  They are looking for new ways to contact their banks, rather than by visiting a branch.

The explosion in cellphone adoption in Africa has seen a rapid increase in contact centres for network operators.  Because of this, consumers are accustomed to connecting with their cellular service provider over the phone, and are calling for the same level of sophistication from other services like banks.

Because this is new territory for African banks, the relationship between the call centre vendor and the bank is critical. There is no historical data to work from, and it is difficult to plan and predict requirements.  The banks, therefore, require advice and guidance with putting together their strategies and creating a solid foundation for improved customer service.  Generally there is a rapid expansion once the call centre is up and running, with more agent seats required to service the level of customer enquiries.

While Africa has lagged in the deployment of call centres, there have been benefits.  From a technical point of view, many call centres are built from the ground up with the latest, cutting-edge technology.  African banks and cellphone operators do not have to deal with many of the legacy issues that companies in other countries have to face.

In addition, recent technological developments mean that call centres have a smaller hardware footprint and fewer moving parts.  This is particularly beneficial for businesses based in Africa.  Because there are fewer flights in and out of Africa, getting spare parts for hardware maintenance is a challenge.  If a contact centre experiences a fault, African companies may have to wait days to get a spare part, impacting on customer service.

However, given that call centres are less hardware-based these days, this is less of an issue for African-based businesses.  This means an increase in uptime, lower upfront costs and lower maintenance fees.

From a vendor point of view, the potential in Africa is great.  In the rest of the world, there are very few greenfield opportunities for call centres.  There is the legacy replacement market, or the opportunity to plug a weak point, e.g. workforce management, in an existing contact centre.  In Africa, there is the potential to start from scratch and share knowledge on how to run an efficient call centre.

So while African companies may have lagged behind the rest of the world in uptake, they can benefit from the rest of the world’s years of experience and leapfrog many of the development stages that businesses in other countries went through.

While most call centres in Africa currently focus on voice, as consumers become more tech-savvy, there will be a move towards converting call centres into multimedia contact centres.  Given that most African businesses use the latest technology, the switch from a call centre to a contact centre will be fast, seamless and cost effective.  Africa wins again.

About Interactive Intelligence
Interactive Intelligence Inc. (Nasdaq: ININ) is a global provider of unified business communications solutions for contact centre automation, enterprise IP telephony, and enterprise messaging. The company was founded in 1994 and has more than 3,000 customers worldwide. Interactive Intelligence is among Software Magazine’s top 500 global software and services suppliers, is ranked among NetworkWorld’s top 200 North American networking vendors, is a BusinessWeek “hot growth 50” company, and is among FORTUNE Small Business magazine’s top 100 fastest growing companies. The company is also positioned in the leaders quadrant of the Gartner 2008 Contact Center Infrastructure, Worldwide Magic Quadrant report. Interactive Intelligence employs approximately 600 people and is headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. It has six global corporate offices with additional sales offices throughout North America, Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific. Interactive Intelligence can be reached at +1 317.872.3000 or info@inin.com; on the Net: http://www.inin.com

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2. Free MobileWorld magazines @ Mobile Web East Africa conference
3. Is Africa Ready For 3G?

Opera Mini

Opera Software ASA has again released its latest State of the Mobile Web report. The report provides information on the top global trends affecting the mobile Web. In addition to the top global trends and country snapshots, the report highlights trends in Africa and aggregate operator data for the top 10 countries.

On a global scale, Opera Mini usage in Nigeria continues to surge, pushing past Poland and taking the #9 spot.

The top 12 countries using Opera Mini in Africa are South Africa, Nigeria, Egypt, Kenya, Libya, Zambia, Tanzania, Cote d’Ivoire, Mozambique, Namibia, Ghana and Gabon.

From April 2008 to April 2009:

• Overall page-views in the top 12 countries listed increased 422%.
• Overall unique users in the top 12 countries listed increased 169%.
• Overall data transferred in the top 12 countries listed increased 348%.

Important milestones

• Since the last spotlight on Africa in September 2008, Nigeria jumped from #4 to #2 and Zambia jumped from #9 to #6. Mozambique, Namibia, Ghana and Gabon are new to the spotlight.
• Growth rates continue to soar in Africa–especially in Libya, with 4,155% user growth since April 2008, and in Nigeria, with 2,353% user growth since April 2008.
• Kenya leads the top 12 countries in page views, with each user browsing 372 pages on average each month.

Operator data trends

• Customers of U.S. operators view more data-intensive pages than subscribers in any other country. The average page viewed over U.S. operator networks is approximately 32 KB compressed or almost 320 KB uncompressed.
• Operators in the Ukraine were the big winners. Their customers view 582 pages per month, on average. Ukraine operators also sport the highest data transfer per user at more than 10 MB per month compressed. This is as much as 100 MB of mobile data per user uncompressed.

“Opera Mini has helped create and define the mobile Web experience for consumers around the world,” said Jon von Tetzchner, CEO, Opera. “Our relentless focus on delivering the best possible mobile Web experience helps drive adoption of mobile data plans. We believe that Opera Mini is the perfect win-win solution for both operators and consumers alike.”

About Opera Software ASA

Opera Software ASA has redefined Web browsing for PCs, mobile phones and other networked devices. Opera’s cross-platform Web browser technology is renowned for its performance, standards compliance and small size, while giving users a faster, safer and more dynamic online experience. Opera Software is headquartered in Oslo, Norway, with offices around the world. The company is listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol OPERA.

Related posts:

1. iPhone users flock to Opera Mini
2. Opera Mini 5.1 for Android released
3. Global aspirations: Zain rebrands Celtel Africa operations

Making a phone call is something that many people take for granted. Yet millions in rural villages around the world simply do not have easy or affordable access to a telephone. The Village Phone concept was developed precisely to help extend access to telecommunications beyond the urban areas.

Started by GrameenPhone in Bangladesh — a client of IFC, IFC is now working with MTN (also an IFC client) and other partners to replicate the Village Phone concept in several African countries, starting with Nigeria.

IFC also collaborated with the Grameen Foundation and other partners to create a Village Phone Replication Manual — essentially a ‘how-to’ resource for setting up a Village Phone project.

Beyond providing much needed communication access, the Village Phone model goes a long way to empower the women operators, spur economic activities and promote entrepreneurialism.

Source: The World Bank

Related posts:

1. MTN Nigeria Expands Roaming to 116 International Networks
2. MTN Nigeria and RIM Launch BlackBerry Solution; BlackBerry Pearl and BlackBerry 8700g now available in Nigeria
3. Roaming Into Nigeria

Advertfarm provides advertisers with permission-based targeted marketing.

Advertfarm, a mobile content network, has emerged today from private beta. This start-up is privately funded and based in Lagos, Nigeria. Advertfarm, as a stand-alone company, focuses on delivering mobile contents to users across Africa through Short Message Services (SMS). Our services include but not limited to SMS marketing, SMS Recruitment, Events Broadcasting, Sponsored Mobile Services and Mobile Alerts.

Advertfarm provides advertisers with permission-based targeted marketing. These advertisements are delivered to subscribers based on specific interests and demographics. Advertfarm only sends its network members localized subscribed mobile content that matches their interest, and gives them total control of when they want to receive it, and how frequently they want to receive it through settings available on the Advertfarm platform.

With over 200 million mobile subscribers in Africa, Advertfarm allows advertisers to target a specific base of consumers in a meaningful way while allowing them to see a much higher rate of return on their investment. The system is developed to fully ensure that advertisers do not waste money on a demographic target that is irrelevant to their goals.

The Advertfarm network has a strict privacy policy on all data collected from its members. The Advertfarm mobile content delivery solution is the first of its kind in Africa as they not only deliver permission-based content to their subscribers but also pay their subscribers for subscribing.

Meanwhile, Advertfarm rewards its subscribed members through a revenue sharing model. The income earned by members of the network is automatically sent to the ATM cards attached to their account.

Advertfarm is currently running its pilot mode only in Nigeria and will launch it 2-WAY SMS interactive system by July 2009. This system would include features such as “SMS Service Un-subscription” where subscribers to a particular service could un-subscribe for certain services without having to visit the web portal. We will be launching services in other African countries in the next quarter.

No related posts.

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.

Related posts:

1. Nokia 5800 XpressMusic: a cat with 7 lives
2. MTN Ghana Launches Mobile TV
3. Skype now available for Nokia smartphones in Ovi Store

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.

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1. Zain selects AIRCOM for network rollout in Ghana
2. Zain, EMS and RIM introduce the Blackberry solution in Ghana
3. Zain launches award winning mobile commerce service ‘Zap’ in Ghana

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.

Related posts:

1. MTN Mobile Money transfer service now available throughout Uganda
2. MTN SA announces domestic money transfer pilot in South Africa

Texting (sending/receiving SMS) has become mainstream in Nigeria.

In June 2005, Mobile Africa published an article in which Mr. Tayo Ajakaye raised issues (and some very valid ones too) about the quality of value added services being provided by GSM network operators (see: Value Added Services: Who Uses Them?

I followed that article with a rejoinder, RE: Value Added Services: Who Uses Them?, in which I faulted Mr. Ajakaiye’s argument, though I agreed with him that quality of service needed (and gasp – still needs) improvement.

Who uses value added services? Let’s look at two popular ones: Mobile Internet and SMS.

Mobile Internet
Let’s take WAP (mobile internet): Opera’s State of the Mobile Web report for 2008 says that Nigeria was the 2nd fastest growing mobile internet community in the period under review (with 1854% growth), and is currently globally number 12 on the mobile internet usage scale.

An incredibly large number of Nigerians must be using value added services. As far back as 2006, the BBC had reported that in July of that year, 61% of its international traffic from mobile devices (a whopping 13.2 million page views in one month alone) was from Nigeria.

SMS
Let’s not go there. The SMS market is so rich today that there’s no point flogging the statistics. TV reality shows run interactive SMS campaigns, businesses and non-profit organisations use SMS notifications to reach their target audiences, and there are already interactive SMS applications deployed for instance in banking, financial, and web hosting services.

An incredibly huge amount of Nigerians have been using value added services for years.

Are these services perfect yet? Dream on. It is a long road ahead, but warts and all, value added services by GSM (and CDMA) operators have made a huge difference in the Nigeria before GSM and Nigeria after GSM.

Mobile value added services are here to stay.

Related posts:

1. RE: Value Added Services: Who Uses Them?
2. Value Added Services: Who Uses Them?
3. Comparative Analysis Of MTN And Glo Data Services

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.

Related posts:

1. Zain half-year 2008 results, surpasses 50m customers milestone
2. Zain launches award winning mobile commerce service ‘Zap’ in Ghana
3. Mobile Web usage in Africa grows nearly 170%

Zain

Zain, the leading mobile telecommunication operator in the Middle East and Africa present in 22 countries, announces today its consolidated financial results for the first half of 2008. The results showed significant growth in revenues with customer numbers exceeding 50 million.

H1-2008 Key Performance Indicators

For the first half of 2008, Zain Group recorded consolidated revenues of US$ 3.488 billion, an increase of 26% compared to H1-2007. The company’s consolidated EBITDA increased by 20% for the same period to reach US$ 1.305 billion. Zain consolidated net profits reached US$ 551.5 million, an increase of 7% on H1-2007 profits.

Year on year customer growth across the two continents where Zain operates was 58% with the Zain Group serving 50.74 million managed active customers at 30 June, 2008.

Commenting on the company’s H1-2008 financial results, Zain CEO, Dr. Saad Al-Barrak said: “On the back of splendid results for 2007 and the first quarter of 2008, despite fierce competition in many markets we are elated that Zain continues its excellent performance in the first half of 2008. Highlighted by crossing the 50 million customer milestone, these impressive results reflect the exceptional operational efficiencies in a company that is investing heavily and rapidly expanding across two continents.”

Dr Al-Barrak added, “We have started to reap the rewards of our recent large investments particularly in Iraq, Nigeria and Sudan with these 3 countries now serving more than half of Zain’s 50 million customers, and we expect similar rewards when our operations in Saudi Arabia and Ghana commence commercial operations.”

Zain in Saudi Arabia
Further to Zain Saudi Arabia’s successful listing on the Saudi Stock Exchange and a share price currently trading at double its initial offering, Zain has committed capital investments to date in networks exceeding US$1.5 billion in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Currently the operation is testing the network with thousands of friendly users and Zain confirms that it will commence commercial operations by the end of August 2008. “We look keenly forward to launching our modern network and commercial offerings in the Kingdom, promising to offer the Saudi community world class telecom services. We are confident that our investment in the Kingdom will reap rewards for all our stakeholders.” said Dr Al Barrak.

One Network in the Middle East
After its widely praised and successful launch in Africa offering customers favorable rates for cross-border communications, on April 14, 2008 Zain introduced the world’s first borderless ‘One Network’ mobile service to 14 million customers in four countries in the Middle East-Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan and Sudan. On this, Dr Al Barrak noted “One Network’s preferential offerings removing borders and high roaming charges have been warmly welcomed and we expect it will be the catalyst for further growth in customer acquisition as we soon plan to link the 2 continents.” Saudi Arabia and Ghana will join One Network on launch of commercial services. Zain plans to roll-out One Network in all its operations, subject to regulatory approvals.

Capital Increase to raise in excess of US$4 billion
Zain also announces that the capital increase subscription period (as approved at the Annual General Assembly meeting on March 2008) will take place between August 17, 2008 and September 18, 2008. This capital increase will raise approximately US$4.4 billion. “Zain aspires to be a top-ten global telecom company by 2011 and increasing the company’s capital will provide the company with the liquidity necessary to continue its ambitious expansion strategy, while reducing the borrowing costs of the company’s operations and increasing shareholder value in the long term” concluded Dr Al Barrak.

Zain brand and community support
On June 27, 2008 the Zain brand was revealed to 50,000 concert goers and a worldwide TV audience of one billion as Zain was the main sponsor of a vast outdoor concert held in Hyde Park, London, honoring the former President of South Africa and Nobel Prize Laureate, Mr. Nelson Mandela on the occasion of his 90th birthday. The event raised substantial funds for his charitable work, as well as increasing the profile of African artists who Zain sponsored to attend and perform at the concert. Zain gave people across Africa the chance to participate in the event by offering its mobile phone networks to well-wishers wanting to send text messages wishing Nelson Mandela a happy birthday. All the money raised from this was given to the 46664 foundation.

In May 2008, Zain announced that it is partnering with the Earth Institute and Ericsson in providing mobile telephony and internet connectivity to over 400,000 people in remote areas in 10 sub-Saharan African countries as part of the Millennium Villages projects. This builds on Zain and Ericsson’s previous collaboration when the companies joined forces and upgraded and expanded Celtel’s infrastructure by building an additional 21 radio sites to provide mobile coverage up to 20 kilometers into Lake Victoria. This will ensure mobile coverage to over 90 percent of the fishing zones, where up to 5,000 people have lost their lives each year from accidents and piracy.

About Zain
Zain is a leading emerging markets player in the field of telecommunications aiming to become one of the top ten mobile groups in the world by 2011. Zain was established in 1983 in Kuwait as the region’s first mobile operator. Since 2003, it has grown significantly becoming the 4th largest telecommunications company in the world in terms of geographic presence with a footprint in 22 countries spread across the Middle East and Africa providing mobile voice and data services to over 50.74 million active customers (as at 30 June 2008).

In the Middle East the company operates under the Zain brand name in Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait and Sudan. In Lebanon the company operates as mtc-touch. Zain plans to commence operations in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in August 2008.

In Africa, Zain operates under the Celtel brand (www.celtel.com) in 14 sub-Saharan African countries namely: Burkina Faso, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Kenya, Malawi, Madagascar, Niger, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia. The company’s mobile telecommunications operations in Ghana will begin in Q4, 2008.

The Zain brand is wholly owned by Mobile Telecommunications Company KSC, which is listed on the Kuwait Stock Exchange (Stock ticker: ZAIN). The company had a market capitalization of over US$25.8 billion on 30 June 2008.

Related posts:

1. Global aspirations: Zain rebrands Celtel Africa operations
2. Zain Wins Best Telecom Operator in Africa Award
3. Historic speech by Kenyan President at Zain rebranding celebrations

This prestigious event was attended by 500 government, business, and media leaders from across Africa, Europe, Asia and the USA. The evening represented an ideal and unique opportunity to give global visibility to world-class African brands.

Collecting the award for Zain, Tito Alai, Chief Commercial Officer for Zain Group commented “Zain places a huge emphasis on Africa in achieving its 2011 targets of being a top-ten global mobile operator with 110 million customers.”

Alai further added, “This award is an achievement that represents our belief in the African continent and the potential that exists. Together with our partners and customers we are committed to building the African economic dream and developing telecommunications across the continent as no other telecom company has been able to do.”

The awards were co-hosted by the Commonwealth Business Council (CBC) and African Business magazine. Notable VIPs such as Ephraim Inoni, Prime Minister of Cameroon; Bethuel Mosisili, Prime Minister of Lesotho; Senator Daggash, Nigeria’s Minister of National Planning; Neville Isdell, Chairman of Coca Cola; and other prominent diplomats and businessmen presented the Awards to the winners in a festive and memorable African night.

About Celtel & Zain
Zain is a leading emerging markets player in the field of telecommunications aiming to become one of the top ten mobile groups in the world by 2011. Zain was established in 1983 in Kuwait as the region’s first mobile operator. Since 2003, it has grown significantly becoming the 4th largest telecommunications company in the world in terms of geographic presence with a footprint in 22 countries spread across the Middle East and Africa providing mobile voice and data services to over 45.7 million active customers (as at 31 March 2008).

In the Middle East the company operates under the Zain brand name in Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait and Sudan. In Lebanon the company operates as mtc-touch. Zain plans to commence operations in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 2008.

In Africa, Zain currently operates under the Celtel brand (www.celtel.com) in 14 sub-Saharan African countries namely: Burkina Faso, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Kenya, Malawi, Madagascar, Niger, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia. The company’s mobile telecommunications operations in Ghana will begin in late 2008.

The Zain brand is wholly owned by Mobile Telecommunications Company KSC, which is listed on the Kuwait Stock Exchange (Stock ticker: ZAIN). The company had a market capitalization of over US$ 27 billion on 30 June, 2008.

Related posts:

1. Zain half-year 2008 results, surpasses 50m customers milestone
2. My expectations of Glo Mobile Ghana

MTN Nigeria

Operator Name: MTN Nigeria Communications Limited

Network Name: MTN Nigeria

Technology: GSM 900/1800, GPRS, EDGE, 3G, 3.5G (HSDPA)

Network Status: Live August 2001

Subscribers: 23,077,000 (December 2008)

Ownership: MTN Group (82%), Nigerian investors (24%)

Corporate Headquarters: Golden Plaza Building, Awolowo Road, Falomo, Ikoyi, Lagos, Nigeria

Telephone: +234 803 902 0001

Email: customercare@mtnnigeria.net

Web Site: www.mtnonline.com

Related posts:

1. MTN Nigeria and RIM Launch BlackBerry Solution; BlackBerry Pearl and BlackBerry 8700g now available in Nigeria
2. ‘Glo-ing’ In Nigeria
3. Roaming Into Nigeria

Related posts:

1. Zain, EMS and RIM introduce the Blackberry solution in Ghana
2. MTN Nigeria
3. MTN Ghana Announces Commercial Launch of 3.5G

Two weeks ago, carrier Multi-Links Telecommunications flipped the switch on a new cell phone network in Lagos, Nigeria, that’s capable of handling hundreds of thousands of more calls at a time than existing cell networks and of downloading e-mails or Web pages at dial-up modem speeds.

And in about three months, Nigerian carrier Rel-Tel will introduce a similar next-generation cell phone service not just to Lagos, but to other parts of the country. Starcomms, another Nigerian carrier, plans to have a similar network in place by year’s end.

Network-equipment seller Nortel Networks, which is supplying Multi-Links with network gear, and Ericsson, which won the Rel-Tel contract, see huge potential in Africa. Less than 10 percent of the population of even the most technologically developed countries has telephone service of any kind. In Nigeria, the figure is less than half of 1 percent.

That translates into hundreds of millions of potential customers. And although trying to sell mobile phones to people who don’t even have old-fashioned landline models might seem like folly, business and infrastructure concerns may give cellular the edge.

Of the two kinds of telephones–traditional landline and cell phones–the wireless variety appears to be a bigger business in Africa, according to Ericsson spokesman Per Altan. The Swedish telephone equipment giant supplies network gear and cell phones to carriers in 30 African nations, and landline phone equipment to carriers in only 20 nations, he said.

The reasons are both economic and regulatory. It’s cheaper for a carrier to lay down a few miles of cable to a base station filled with cellular antennas than to string traditional phone lines to every house and business. Also, the landline phone business in Africa is a near monopoly, with each country having usually just one carrier. Although governments aren’t letting rival landline phone companies in to do business, they are giving licenses to cell phone providers, said Stephan Beckert, research director for market analysis firm TeleGeography.

That means cell phones may indeed win out in the long run. In Morocco, for example, there are already 4.8 million cell phone users among a population of 29 million–four times the number of fixed-line phone users, according to statistics provided by TeleGeography.

But just as in China, a huge untapped population doesn’t necessarily mean instant jackpot-size revenue for phone sellers, Beckert said. Poverty is certainly one of the biggest obstacles keeping phones out of Africa’s hands.

“Look at how many (customers) are in China, then look at the average income,” Beckert said. “You’re seeing factory workers making 60 cents per day. They aren’t going to buy cell phones anytime soon.”

By Ben Charny; Staff Writer, CNET News.com

Related posts:

1. Africa’s Booming Mobile Markets: Can The Growth Curve Continue?
2. Mobile Data: Bridging The Internet Divide In Africa
3. Cellphones cause call centre boom for banks in Africa

Lagos Island, Nigeria

I had to visit home again after a long time away, in October 2004. I had nothing to worry about. It would be like I was still in my country of residence. Armed with my notebook computer, a VISA debit card, few personal effects, and of course, my good old Nokia 7250i, I set off for Ibadan (south west Nigeria), my beloved home town.

Ghana’s Spacefon Areeba announced on November 15th 2003, west Africa’s first prepaid roaming service. I knew I would use the service sooner than later. I went to thier office at Osu to activate this. Setup was easy. In all, I paid the equivalent of $70. About an hour later, I got a text message: “Dear Subscriber, Your account has been activated. To check the balance of your account PLS dial the balance enquiry number”. I got another message: “Your new balance is 40.00 USD. It is valid until 07-Oct-2005.

I decided to travel to Nigeria by road, to experience how the service would be, crossing from Ghana – Togo – Benin Republic – Nigeria. I travelled by ABC Transport, an executive bus service across west Africa. Whilst in Lome (capital of Togo), my phone was still displaying SPACEFON. This is obviously because Aflao, the border town was just a stone throw away, and Spacefon Areeba has its base stations there. I quickly searched for the available networks. Ghana: GH ONETOUCH, GH SPACE, GH MOBITEL and Togo: Togocell, and one other network. I can’t recollect its name.

We proceeded with the journey. As soon as we moved further from Ghana, my phone soon was displaying Togocell. I smiled. Receiving calls was effortless. The other folks in the bus were surprised that in the middle of nowhere, I could still use my mobile phone. In Benin republic, my phone displayed: BeninCell. I had set my phone on “Automatic network selection”. Consequently, the phone searched for the strongest available network. Since much of the pan-African highway was covered by GSM cellular service, I was in touch, most of the way.

In Benin republic, I decided to call my folks in Nigeria that I was on my way. We soon arrived at the Benin-Nigeria border post. We waited in the bus whilst the bus guide went to process our immigration documents. Soon, I received a text message: ” Y’ello and welcome to Nigeria. For more information on Nigeria, please call 15900 for Directory Services. Do enjoy your stay”. Guess who the sender was? MTN NIGERIA. I chuckled. Needless to say that I selected MTN throughout my short stay in Nigeria. The text message I received was enough reason for me.

We soon drove into Badagry, and towards Lagos mainland. All along the highway, my phone was displaying the names of the base stations as we went by. Names like: Okokomaiko, Badagry-3, readily comes to mind. Well, I’m in Lagos and had to quickly head off for Ibadan, since it was getting late. In Ibadan, same experience. Seamless connectivity.

One great edge I had was, Spacefon Areeba had interconnectivity agreements with three out of the four mobile networks in Nigeria. In a nutshell, I could select VMobile, MTN Nigeria or Glo mobile. Meaning, in places where one network was unavailable, I could easily switch to another network. People on Nigerian networks can’t do this. If you are a VMobile subscriber for example, and you are in a place not covered by VMobile, you were out of touch!

At a glance
I could use any of the three networks: VMobile, Glo mobile, MTN Nigeria.
I could receive text messages sent to my phone number in Ghana.
I could forward all my calls to any phone number in the world. I later bought a Glo mobile prepaid “classic pack” for only N1 and forwarded my calls to the glo line. People in Nigeria could reach me by dialling 0805 224 **** whilst people in Ghana could reach me by simply dialling 024 493 ****. Nothing could be easier.

Downsides
I could not send text messages. I solved this by acqiuring a local mobile line (glo) and forwarded my calls and text messages to it.
Any one trying to reach me within Nigeria would still have to make an International call my dialling my line in Ghana, though I was physically in Nigeria! This is not cost-effective. Same solution. I got a glo mobile line.
I had to pay $2 each time I forwarded my calls to any phone line. I had to do this just once though.

Cost:
Registration: $30
Units: $40
Making calls: $0.50 per 30 seconds
Receiving calls: $0.25 per 30 seconds

In a nutshell, Spacefon Areeba’s HOP service is good if you would be leaving Ghana for a short while. You are only in touch during the life cycle of your credit on SNAP. You are disconnected as soon as your prepaid credit on SNAP expires. On the postpaid package however, you are connected as long as your $1500 deposit as carry you.

I enjoyed the rest of my stay in Nigeria. It was virtually like I never left Ghana, as I was constantly in touch, making and receiving calls as usual.

Related posts:

1. MTN Nigeria Expands Roaming to 116 International Networks
2. MTN Nigeria and RIM Launch BlackBerry Solution; BlackBerry Pearl and BlackBerry 8700g now available in Nigeria
3. ‘Glo-ing’ In Nigeria

Glo mobile

Glo Mobile, the GSM subsidiary of Globacom Nigeria Limited has been a great player in the telecom industry since it was launched in 2003.

First came the rather aggressive adverts on all the available media in the country: TV, Radio, Newspapers, Magazine and even the Internet. Nigerians were left to wonder what this new entrant could offer. Glo Mobile made promises, to be Nigeria’s best mobile phone operator, to break the hitherto existing duopoly of VMobile Nigeria (then known as Econet Wireless Nigeria) and MTN Nigeria. The promises looked good. One thing was certain, Glo had the financial stamina to ‘walk the talk’.

Nearly two years later, Glo Mobile has completely change the scenerio of the GSM telecom sub-sector in Nigeria, and the story has never been the same again.

First came the adverts that were all rather indigenous. Glo mobile made use of local Nigerian musicians to drive home the point. Notable amongst the musicians were King Sunny Ade and Daddy Showkey. Moreover, Glo’s flagship colour is limish green; this Nigerians could identify with, since the colour of the country’s flag was Green – White – Green. Moreover, Glo made very colourful posters and bill boards with the inscriptions, “Glo with Pride”, “Lets glo with you” etc.

As events unfolded, it became crystal clear to everyone that Glo mobile was in, for real business. Glo launched Nigeria’s most advanced cellular network, a 2.5G (advanced form of 2nd generation phone network that enables a cellular network to offer GPRS and MMS). GPRS was free for Glo’s subscribers for over a month.

No other cellular network has been able to match the wide variety of Value Added Services offered by Glo. None. Their wide variety of value-added-services include: MultiMedia Messaging Service (Glo MMS), Mobile Internet (via GPRS), Magic Plus (an SMS-based service that gives subscribers access to a host of information, commerce and entertainment content), Ringtones & logos, Txt2Email, Email2Txt, Text Messaging, Personalized Voicemail service, Roaming (for both prepaid & postpaid subscribers).

Other services on the glo mobile network include: Calling Line Identification Presentation (CLIP), Call Waiting and Call Hold, Call Forwarding, Call Barring, International Roaming and Conference Call.

Glo Mobile’s main objective appears to be “Building the biggest and best network in Africa”. This is on their website. Little wonder. They have since demonstrated this. As at time of writing, Glo mobile’s network has 3.3 million subscribers, and has coverage in 31 states (out of 36) of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, making it the only network in Nigeria to have almost covered the entire country in less than two years. The rapid spread has been adjudged as one of the fastest in Africa.

Glo mobile is currently running a promotion which it tagged “Everyone Is an Instant Winner”. In the current promo, Glo Mobile is giving 15% instant bonus credit for every recharge. Based on its monthly recharge volume, the payout on this promo for Glo may be in the region of N500 million monthly.

The present Glo Mobile offering therefore appears to over-shadow that of any other promotion in the country, particularly in the telecommunication industry.

The Instant winner promo also differs from other promotions because every Glo subscriber is a winner.

Glo Mobile emerged with a strong vision to make a difference in the Nigerian mobile sub-telecom sector. They are doing just that. They have changed the industry for the better. The subscribers now have cause to smile.

Related posts:

1. MTN Nigeria
2. Roaming Into Nigeria
3. MTN Nigeria Expands Roaming to 116 International Networks

However, that article gives the impression that the right thing for those operators to do is to ignore value-added services altogether until they are in a better position to make them work right. I may be wrong on that impression, and stand to be corrected, but I am of the opinion that there is a better approach. Permit me to comment on a few things touched in that article, as someone who has used a number of those services regularly for years.

Mr Ajakaye says, During the early stages of its operation in Nigeria, MTN in collaboration with a IT solution provider launched the Wireless Application Protocol (WAP). The service did not really fly. Not many people could perform the smallest task online, like checking e-mail, through the system. The fault might not be that of the telecom operator.

It just is not true that not many people could use MTN’s WAP and CSD platform. It was (and still is) rather a case of many people not being able to afford to use it. The tariff was (and still is) madness, in my opinion. However, I used it consistently, browsing WAP and managing my office mails at home and on the move. As a matter of fact, MTN’s CSD service is one value-added service that was (and still is) more reliable than the core services of many ISPs in Nigeria that I know of.

Mr Ajakaye further says, What Okoruwa did not include is that the problem might be with the inefficent way these VAS are offered in Nigeria. And after trying one out with money gone and no results found, Nigerian subscribers are learning to restrict themselves to just the basic use of the phone as much as they could.

Inefficient service delivery is not news to Nigerians, and so Value-added services should not be singled out when this is concerned. Many institutions and sectors are inefficient in the delivery of both their core areas of competence and value-added services: banks, insurance companies, ISPs, press and media organisations, religious organisations. It has been a general problem our society needs to address.

For example, when VSAT and other internet access technologies were first introduced to Nigeria, those of us who are in the know can attest to the fact that internet access inefficiently delivered to end-users. Terribly long downtimes were (and in a number of cases, still are) the order of the day. Internet access is not a value-added service for ISPs, who were licensed for that purpose, yet they delivered poorly. We did not condemn internet access in Nigeria to the graveyard because of those experiences. Today, things are slightly better. I submit that service delivery of value-added services will get better with time, with experience, and as competition grows.

Like I mentioned earlier, I have tasted of the bitterness of disappointment from some of these operators, but I must admit that my life and work has had real value added to them because those services exist at all. That’s why I say, Let the show go on.

I liken this issue of value-added services (and all modern services in general) to the relationship called marriage. In the early years, those involved may have to do a lot of shaving off the rough edges of each other, and with some tolerance, balanced confrontation and determination to make things work, the relationship not only lasts but gets better… and better… and better.

Mr Ajakaye wrote, A telecom consultant who spoke with THISDAY on phone Tuesday night said “I cannot immediately think of one that has added value to what service.”

If THISDAY had spoken with me, they would have had a different answer. I have a fast-growing list of a number of people who are able to work better, more efficiently and more conveniently as a result of the value-added services on both GSM and CDMA networks in Nigeria. These crop of people see an opportunity and are taking advantage of it daily. And that, I believe, answers the all-important question that Mr Ajakaye asked, “Who uses them?”

Related posts:

1. Nigeria: Value Added Services are here to stay
2. Value Added Services: Who Uses Them?
3. Comparative Analysis Of MTN And Glo Data Services

In this saddening in this light to observe that a significant number of GSM operators in Nigeria only pay lip service to customer support. This is more of a problem as we see a shift from plain voice to mobile data. I’ll shed more light on how I arrived at this conclusion.

Scene 1: Kingsley purchases a GPRS-smartphone for use on the GloMobile network. He subscribes for full internet service so he can browse the Web and access emails on his smartphone. But he is told by Customer Care that the only way he can browse the Web is to use his phone as a modem with a laptop! Amused, Kingsley takes his laptop to them as requested, and they were not able to configure it and get it to work with their GPRS service.

Scene 2: Yomi has signed up for full internet access via GPRS on the same network. He has put in all settings, yet the service does not work. From the error message his Sony Ericsson P800 is giving (Service not activated), it is clear that GloMobile is yet to do something at their end. After weeks of calling customer care, he is finally asked to come over to their office half-way across the city of Lagos from his location.

Insisting that the trip was not necessary to resolve the issue, he is told that was the only thing to do. Yomi drives down, and after customer care has taken a look at the settings on his phone, they comment that everything was in order and then take a look at their systems. They discover that they had not activated the poor fellow’s line on the “switch”. Another unnecessary and wasteful trip.

Yomi soon upgrades his handset to the Nokia 9500, which is in effect a laptop that fits into your palm. Speaking with Customer care once, he is asked what laptop he uses. He replies that he just uses his Communicator to browse, manage email, and run Instant messaging, and is shocked when the representative on the line responds in amazement how that was possible.

Scene 3: A young lady takes a handset to the nearest MTN Friendship Centre to have it configured for WAP. She is told that the server was down and so the handset could not be configured. In less than an hour she narrates the story to a friend, who promptly takes the handset, inputs the settings and starts browsing with it. Whether or not the server was actually down had nothing to do with configuring WAP on a phone, and Custmer Care did not know that.

Scene 4: Wale calls Customer Care on Vmobile to enquire whether it was true that the network now had a GPRS service. The representative replies in the affirmative and proceeds to tell Wale to send a specified text to a dedicated number to receive the service configuration OTA (Over-the-air). Wale sends the text and is surprised to discover that the settings sent to him are for plain old Circuit-switched data, a slow dial-up protocol. Till the time of writing this article, Vmobile is yet to launch GPRS on its network.

Scene 5: DK purchases one of the newer Sendo phones for use on GloMobile. Customer Care informs him that the handset cannot work on its network (we have been wondering why, since it was not locked to another network and was both WAP and GPRS-enabled). DK visits http://www.gosmartmobile.com where he finds WAP settings for his network. He puts in the settings, makes some adjustments on my recommendation – and months after he is still browsing.

Okay. Enough examples. All scenarios above are real events. I made none up. Of course, there are more, but what’s the use going on and on?

The question on my mind is, How much training do Customer Care representatives get? Did these guys apply for those jobs just to put some money in their pockets every month or do they really have an interest in what they do?

I may not have the answers straight up, but I do know that what we observe in subscribers’ interaction with Customer Care officers on our networks leaves much to be desired. These operators should stop caring about us in word alone. They may need to cut down on those ad budgets and put more funds in ensuring that the customer gets the kind of support he deserves.

Related posts:

1. Value Added Services: Who Uses Them?
2. ‘Glo-ing’ In Nigeria
3. Comparative Analysis Of MTN And Glo Data Services

Value-added services are those service outside the core services provided by service providers. Just as the name implies, a value-added service is supposed to add value to the subscribers’ use of an operator’s network. These services have unique characteristics and they relate to other services in a completely different way. They also provide benefits that core services can not.

But accordidng to Mr. Calixthus Okoruwa, the CEO XLR8, who organised a VAS expo, e-NNOVATE early this year, value added services are now generically defined to refer to all other uses to which technological gadgets can be put, outside of the use for which they were primarily designed. He said the mobile phone is the prime example here as it was primarily designed for voice communication. If it now enables a user to link up with his e-mail or enables him to conduct banking transactions even while on the move, then of course these are certainly value added services.

Value-added services continue to be developed by the day. The more popular ones include call holding, call waiting, call barring, call divert, voice mail, SMS, fax messaging, Calling Line Identification, call conferencing, cell information, and all those services involved in mobile VAS. These include non-voice advanced messaging services such as SMS, MMS, Mobile Instant Messaging, and Unified Messaging. There are also wireless data such as GPRS, WAP, mobile gaming and Push To Talk.

Some characteristics of a VAS which experts have mentioned include that it is not a form of basic service but rather adds value total service offering. It could stand alone in terms of profitability and where properly offered, it could stimulates incremental demand for core service. A value-added service could stand alone operationally. It does not cannibalize basic service unless clearly favourable. It can be an add-on to basic service, and as such, may be sold at a premium price, and it may provide operational and/or administrative synergy between or among other services.

Basically, experts point to two types of VAS. The first service type are those value-added services that stand alone from the core service of the operator. These are often provided as an optional service along with voice services, although they could be offered and used by themselves without the voice service. A good exapmle of this is the SMS.

The licencing authority in many cases licence the operator to provide the basic voice services. The operator adds such other services that may attract subscribers to his network.

During the early stages of its operation in Nigeria, MTN in collaboration with a IT solution provider launched the Wireless Application Protocol (WAP). The service did not really fly. Not many people could perform the smallest task online, like checking e-mail, through the system. The fault might not be that of the telecom operator.

In recent times, virtually all the operators in the Nigerian telecom industry has come to town with one value-added service or the other. The GSM operators had been introducing one value-added service after the other. The competition, observers have noted, is in the launching the services, not in effectiveness. For example, one of the operators who offer GPRS could keep a subscriber waiting for more than 30 days before he is connected. After the acknowledgment by the network that your request had been received and was been processed, the operator goes to sleep till the following month. Yet before you could finish pronoucing GPRS, the same operator could come out launching another value-added service.

The PTOs are not left behind in this craze to launch value-added service. Many PTOs have launched Internet service, but subscribers cannot point to more than two that are working well. How many of those are working well? Some of them promised SMS, but they could only send that within their individual networks.

Although there was the culture of promise without delivery by operators, Okoruwa believes that “this area is a potentially exciting aspect of the technology industry – not just telecoms, but the entire technology industry – which operators are currently only just scratching. I say it promises to be very exciting because of its immense potential to add real value to the lives of consumers and in so doing, in helping to create new revenue streams for technology players – telecom companies, but also content providers, web developers, banks and financial institutions, sundry retailers and service companies and entrepreneurs of different hues.”

What’s more Okoruwa says, is that that for a country like Nigeria, an additional benefit would be that value added services in a very subtle yet potent manner, encourage Nigerians to embrace technology in their every day lives. Children who have had to enroll for WAEC or JAMB online or check their results in the same manner, come back home to regal their parents and older ones of tales of the new fangled technology.

Admitting that Nigerians might not be utilising these services to the utmost as yet, Okoruwa says the reason is that voice telephony is the primary driver telecommunications and after a prolonged scarcity of basic telephone amenities with attendant huge unmet need for telecoms, telecom companies have understandably and to resounded commercial success, focused attention on voice.Also, voice has also been the predominant concern of the consumers.

What Okoruwa did not include is that the problem might be with the inefficent way these VAS are offered in Nigeria. And after trying one out with money gone and no results found, Nigerian subscribers are learning to restrict themselves to just the basic use of the phone as much as they could. Many subscribers have had their money deducted for SMS that was not delivered. If this could happen to simple SMS, they wonder what would happen to GPRS and other high-sounding service.

It would seem the NCC has no standard on the quality of these value-added services. The regulator did not licence them to offer anything than basic voice telephony. So, it would be difficult to start grading them for a service your licence did not require them to provide. At the last published report on network quality in Nigeria, NCC concentrated just on the voice aspect. Which is just as well, analysts argue, because for an operator finding it difficult to provide quality voice service, adding several value-added services is an unnecssary distraction.

A telecom consultant who spoke with THISDAY on phone Tuesday night said “I cannot immediately think of one that has added value to what service.” It is a view shared by most subscribers, all the noise aside.

Related posts:

1. Nigeria: Value Added Services are here to stay
2. RE: Value Added Services: Who Uses Them?
3. Comparative Analysis Of MTN And Glo Data Services

I will not be comparing WAP services here, as they are pretty limited in use to the business person, but full data services giving you access to the Web, email and FTP etc.

Getting Started
On MTN, you only need pay a one-time fee of N1,500 to be signed up for Enhanced Data and Fax. This is whether you are on prepay or a contract. It makes no difference.

With Glo, you have to be a contract user to get access to full internet access. Minimum initial expenditure: N9,750, plus all the hassles of a contract.

Tariffs
Glo GPRS is charged by the byte (20kobo to 35 kobo per kilobyte) rather than per time, making it generally more cost-effective than MTN’s per second or per minute browsing charges (same as regular call rates). But again on MTN, there are at least 3 BoosterCard options available to help you lower your browsing costs.

Speed Issues
MTN runs a CSD platform with speeds limited to 9.6kbps. In practice it works well for retrieving and sending mails and viewing low-bandwidth sites.

Glo touts its GPRS speed at 40kbps. In reality it is much slower – barely faster than a normal CSD connection, and many times just totally unuseable.

Service Availability and Quality
From the experience I have had on both platforms, MTN Enhanced Data/Fax is available everywhere I have been. It does not matter where I am in Lagos, I am able to browse. Last year, I took a trip to and from Warri and it worked flawlessly all through – on the road and at my destination.

The same cannot be said for Glo GPRS however. Even within Lagos, there are very few locations GPRS works. For example, a drive between Ojodu and Surulere is a shocking revelation. The GPRS signal is there, but more often than not it does not work. I won’t even think of attempting a trip to Warri.

Extras
Glo GPRS allows you to send and receive Multi-media messages – a souped-up version of SMS that includes audio, video, and animations. On the other hand, MTN Data/Fax gives you fax and data access. You get 2 extra numbers – one for fax and the other for data. Hence, if you use a Communicator like I do, you do not need a fax machine, as the communicator series have it built-in.

Conclusion
Let’s face it, besides the more convenient tariffs on Glo GPRS when and where it works, there is very little difference in what you get from the two networks. In addition, MTN gives you fax alongside Web and email access.

But if my life were to depend on it, I’d choose MTN’s Enhanced Data/Fax. A little more expensive, but it wins by a clear margin when it comes to reliability and availability.

Related posts:

1. Mobile Data: Bridging The Internet Divide In Africa
2. Value Added Services: Who Uses Them?
3. RE: Value Added Services: Who Uses Them?