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.

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MTN 3G pack. Photo by Oluniyi David Ajao.

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

The 3G pack contained:

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

Technical Specification

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

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

MTN F@stlink software

A screenshot of MTN F@stlink software.

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

MTN F@stlink comes with the following features:

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

MTN Internet SIM

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

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

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

Usage

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

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

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

According to MTN Ghana’s website:

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

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

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

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

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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.

Zain

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Speed

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

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

Be aware

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

MTN office in Osu, Accra

MTN Ghana announced the launch of their 3.5G network in January 2009. I have noticed that their 3.5G coverage in Accra is patchy but even where there is coverage, I have not been able to connect. I search manually for the 3.5G network and select it but get an error message: “Access not allowed”.

Calls to the customer service did not help much and so I headed to their special 3.5G booth in from of their Osu office. A gentleman there told me it was not open to the public yet. When I asked about the public announcement in January, he stated that was only a “soft launch” and access should be open to the public later this week.

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.

GSA

The Global mobile Suppliers Association (GSA) has welcomed the decision by the European Parliament to accept the amendment of the GSM Directive to allow UMTS (WCDMA-HSPA) technology to be deployed in the 900 MHz band. The political agreement for this new move was reached by the European Parliament on 24th March 2009.

According to a press release from the GSA, Mobile broadband services enabled by WCDMA-HSPA technology have been successfully deployed throughout the world and are a huge success. There are 120 live HSPA commercial systems in the European Union alone, and 259 systems launched in 111 countries worldwide, according to GSA’s latest research. Deploying HSPA mobile broadband systems in the 900 MHz band (UMTS900) brings substantial efficiencies and lower costs for network operators because lower frequencies travel further and penetrate buildings more easily than the higher frequencies (2100 MHz) which most 3G systems currently use.  As a result, 900 MHz is an ideal band for extending the benefits of broadband connectivity to rural and semi-urban areas, thus helping to bridge the digital divide, and is a perfect complement to 2100 MHz systems, which ensure the capacity layer.

Alan Hadden, President, GSA said: “This groundbreaking spectrum agreement in Brussels enables more Europeans to benefit from mobile broadband services. It is a clear signal to all regulators (NRAs) to prepare the path in their respective markets for a new wave of HSPA deployments in the 900 MHz band.”

According to GSA’s latest research, eight UMTS900-HSPA systems are now in commercial service in Europe, Latin America, and the Asia Pacific region. GSA recently announced that 115 HSPA/mobile broadband devices capable of operating at 900 MHz (as well as 2100 MHz) are already launched by manufacturers, and this frequency combination is becoming commonplace for products destined for European and APAC markets.

HSPA Mobile Broadband in Africa

The GSA HSPA Operator Commitments survey in January 2009 reveals that 10 HSPA operators have commercially launched mobile broadband services in North Africa. HSDPA is commerically available in Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa and Uganda. HSDPA is at a pilot trial/testing stage in Senegal. The survey also reveals that 2 HSUPA commercial networks are already launched in Egypt.

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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

First Generation of Mobile Telephony (1G)
These basically entails the earliest technology that was deployed with the initial advent of mobile telephony. These include: AMPS and TDMA. 1G was introduced to Africa in the early 1990s and is gradually being phased-out and replaced by 2G technology.

Second Generation of Mobile Telephony (2G)
This was the next phase of development after the 1G mobile technology. Research into the development of 2G technologies started as way back as the early eighties and saw real deployments in 1992. It was developed with the aim of correcting much of the problems that came with the earlier mobile phone systems. It is far more efficient with voice and data transmission and comes with enhanced security. 2G is a digital technology. Mobile networks in Africa mainly deploy well-known systems like GSM (900 / 1800MHz band) and cdmaOne.

Advanced Second Generation Technologies (2.5G)
High data requirements amongst consumers necessitated the improvement of the available technologies. Engineers tried to figure how they could ‘squeeze’ more data (information) through the available mobile network infrastructure. This saw the advent of technologies like GPRS, HSCSD, EDGE, CDMA2000. These improved versions of the 2G systems have brought much more improved functionality, possibilities and real-life applications. Most mobile phone networks in Africa, at time of writing, are still on the plain 2G system of GSM and CDMA. Some though are now aggressively migrating to the higher 2.5G platforms and even 3G! Needless to say that much of the rapid developments are witnessed in South Africa, Egypt and to some extent, Nigeria.

Deployment of 2.5G in Africa
The most common of the 2.5G technology deployment in Africa is GPRS. This is more because of its affordability with deployment. More GPRS-enabled handsets are widely available in many of Africa’s fast growing mobile phone market.
South African networks MTN and Vodacom had launched GPRS by 2002. GPRS has long been available on Egypt’s mobile phone networks Mobinil and Vodafone Egypt (Click GSM).
It is currently still being deployed in Nigeria by the mobile phone networks. Nigeria’s glo mobile took the lead by launching Nigeria’s first GPRS network in August 2004 followed by Mtel in April 2005. Kenya’s Safaricomm followed suit in April 2005.
Other networks are quiet about time of deployment.

Third Generation of Mobile Telephony (3G)
This is the latest form of mobile telephony technology that is currently gaining widespread deployment globally, especially in Europe and the Far East. It was designed to provide the best platform for mobile communication and can support features like Video Telephony, High Speed Internet access (burst speed of 384kbps), real-time audio & video broadcast and more.

Deployment of 3G in Africa
This is still a relatively new technology and as such has witnessed very limited real-time deployment in Africa. The earliest entry into this arena was EMTEL, a mobile phone company based in Mauritius. They launched Africa’s first 3G-capable network in November 2004. Following closely is South Africa’s Vodacom which deployed the first 3G network in South Africa in December 2004. MTN South Africa is also gearing up to launch an EDGE-capable network in early 2005, taking the lead from Spacefon Areeba who announced that they would be launching Africa’s first EDGE-capable network as way back as April 2004.

Fourth Generation of Mobile Telephony (4G)
4G promises High-speed mobile wireless access with a very high data transmission speed, of the same order of magnitude as a local area network connection. It is still under-going development and test are only currently running in Japan. It promises much more possibilities and applications and needless to say that this technology is currently not available anywhere in Africa. You can always check back here for developments as they unfold.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

by ITU Africa