Wireless Federation

Monitise launches trial mobile payments service in Nigeria

On 03.25.11, In Mobile, By Editor

Monitise, a mobile banking service provider has launched a trial mobile payments service in Nigeria. The service is tested in four cities and 11 rural locations across four states under a Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) provisional licence.

Monitise’s pilot has already created 16 full-time jobs for field support staff to assess, vet, recruit and train agents. Funds can be deposited by agents at branches of Monitise’s first Nigerian bank partner, Afribank. Once users have registered, whether by simple self-registration or through an agent, they can access Monitise Mobile Money through an internet browser on their mobile handset.

Although the service works across all mobile networks, Etisalat Nigeria, the country’s fastest growing mobile network operator, is providing Monitise with access to their call centre, USSD service, promotional material, dealer network and agent assistance.

Monitise has been supported by the Africa Enterprise Challenge Fund (AECF), which has provided grant funding to assist in the launch of its Mobile Banking and payments service.

The trial involves the four states of Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, and Ibadan. The 11 rural locations are: Epe, Otta, Ayobo-Ipaja, Akufo, Ologun-eru, Apete, Gwagwalada, Ikorodu, Gawaki, Jikwoyi and Choba.

Etisalat Nigeria bags $650 mn funding for network expansion

On 03.14.11, In Mobile, By Editor

Etisalat Nigeria has reportedly completed a US$650 million agreement deal with eight Nigerian banks to expand its mobile phone network.

According to reports, the loan is being arranged by First Bank of Nigeria Plc, Zenith Bank Plc, Access Bank Plc, Fidelity Bank Plc and United Bank for Africa Plc. Others are Bank PHB Plc, Guaranty Trust Bank Plc and Oceanic Bank International Plc.

According to Chief Executive Officer Steven Evans, the company would invest $400 million in 2011; noting that $50 million out of the money would be specifically spent on 3G equipment.

Etisalat Nigeria acquired Alheri Mobile Services, a unit of the Dangote Group and a recipient of a 3G license last December for an undisclosed amount.

According to Evans, the 3G network will be launched in Lagos, Port Harcourt and Abuja very soon, while other parts of the country will be covered in 2011.

Filed under:Mobile Tagged with: 3G • Abuja • Access Bank Plc • Alheri Mobile Services • Bank PHB Plc • Dangote Group • Etisalat • Etisalat Nigeria • Fidelity Bank Plc • First Bank of Nigeria Plc • Guaranty Trust Bank Plc • Lagos • Mobile • Niger • Nigeria • Nigerian banks • Oceanic Bank International Plc • Port Harcourt • United Bank for Africa plc • Zenith Bank Plc

Etisalat Nigeria acquires 3G license

On 12.03.10, In Mobile, By Editor

Etisalat Nigeria has reportedly acquired a 3G license through the purchase of another company that had been granted the license by the Nigerian Communications Commission. According to Etisalat Nigeria’s CEO, Mr. Steven Evans, with the acquisition, the telecoms operator would now have access to a 3G license like the other three GSM companies in the country.

He added that now, with 3G, the company can further develop their data and mobile broadband portfolio and offer customers even higher levels of service. There is unexpressed demand in Nigeria for broadband and they intend to be leaders in satisfying it.

According to local media, the operator has plans for US$400 million expenditure for 2011, of which US$50 million will be spent on 3G equipment.

According to Evans, the 3G network service will be launched in Lagos, Port Harcourt and Abuja very soon, while other parts of the country will be covered in 2011.

As per the Managing Director, Alheri Mobile, Mr. Boye Olusanya, it makes sense for them to sell Alheri Mobile to Etisalat Nigeria as they believe that the market here can only sustain four mobile operators in the medium to long-term.

Filed under:Mobile Tagged with: 3G license • Abuja • Alheri Mobile • CEO • Etisalat • GSM • Lagos • Managing Director • Mobile • Mr. Boye Olusanya • Mr. Steven Evans • Niger • Nigeria • Nigerian Communications Commission • Port Harcourt • USA

Nigeria commits to introduce MNP

On 11.29.10, In Mobile, By Editor

Nigeria’s minister for Information and Communications, Professor Dora Akunyili, has underlined the commitment of the Federal government to the introduction of Mobile Number Portability (MNP) in its bid to increase competition and expand the horizon for excellence in customer service.

Professor Akunyili, who was speaking at the launch of the Airtel brand in Nigeria, last week in Abuja, also congratulated the management and staff of the company for the successful launch of their new brand. She noted that Mobile Number Portability would help increase competition among telecoms operators in the country as well as reduce tariff thereby driving affordability.

According to Akunyili, the Minister expressed delight that Airtel was keenly aligned with the government’s desire to introduce Mobile Number Portability. They have noted with interest your call for Mobile Number Portability, which will ultimately help to increase competition among the operators and result in reduced tariffs. There are a few other initiatives you are pursuing in a bid to lower the tariff paid by customers on your network. Let her assure you that government through the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) will continue to support you and indeed the industry.

She assured the company of government support through the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) just as she called on the leadership of Airtel Nigeria to create more opportunities to empower more Nigerians to realize their entrepreneurial potentials.

The Minister also emphasized the need for more Nigerians to be given more leadership opportunities and roles in the organization as this would help improve their entrepreneurial skills.

Filed under:Mobile Tagged with: Abuja • Airtel • Airtel Nigeria • minister for Information and Communications • MNP • Mobile • NCC • Niger • Nigeria • Professor Dora Akunyili

Nigerian Globacom files suit against MTN, NCC over interconnection payments

On 01.16.10, In Mobile, By Editor

www.WirelessFederation.com/news: A legal action has been filed in a Federal High Court in Lagos by Nigerian telecoms company, Globacom against Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and MTN Nigeria. Globacom has alleged that the NCC unsatisfactorily handled a dispute over interconnection between itself and MTN.

An interconnection agreement was reached by the two operators in 2003 under which neither party should invoice for a phone call later than 60 days after the actual call date. However, as per Globacom claims, the agreement was violated by MTN. MTN made a claim of over NGN1 billion (USD6.5 million) for unpaid supplementary invoices.

Later, an arbitration panel was made by NCC to look into the dispute and ruled that Globacom should pay its rival NGN856 million within 30 days for invoices for calls terminated on MTN’s network.

A separate preliminary objection to the suit has been filed by MTN and NCC stating that the Lagos court lacks jurisdiction to adjudicate on the matter and urged the court to instead refer the case to a court in Abuja, where MTN had earlier filed a suit against Globacom.

Filed under:Mobile Tagged with: Abuja • Globacom • MTN • Niger • Nigeria • Nigerian Communications Commission • operator

Gateway Communications acquires 10.5GHz spectrum license

On 12.22.09, In Mobile, By Editor

www.WirelessFederation.com/news: 10.5GHz spectrum license has been acquired by Gateway Communications, a telecoms network operator, for ten states in Nigeria: Kano, Kaduna, Rivers, Delta, Abuja, Edo, Oyo, Anambra, Abia and
Enugu. Earlier, Airlink and MetroLink 10.5GHz spectrum solutions targeted at SMEs in Lagos was deployed by the company.

Both the steps aim to strengthen its drive to build a pan-African connectivity network that covers every major African city based on satellite, submarine cable and fibre infrastructure. The services will be rolled out across the ten states in 2010 while Port Harcourt and Abuja will go live in February 2010. The solution will be deployed in further 14 states in 2011.

According to John Dindlebeck, MD at Gateway West Africa, the flexibility of the broadband 10Mbps solution with an MPLS backbone can customize the solutions provided to individual client needs.

Besides, the commitment of the company to provide world class connectivity solutions in Nigeria is also demonstrated through this expansion.

Filed under:Mobile Tagged with: Abia • Abuja • Airlink • Anambra • Delta • Edo • Enugu • Gateway Communications • Kaduna • MetroLink • Niger • Nigeria • Nigeria: Kano • Oyo • Rivers • SME • West Africa

Nigeria: MTN Wins Best Mobile Operator of the Year Award

On 08.15.06, In Mobile, By Editor

MTN Nigeria Communications Limited has emerged the Best Mobile Operator of the Year 2005 at the Nigerian Telecoms Awards ceremony.

MTN Nigeria won in the best operator category by beating Vmobile and Globacom.

Expressing delight with this new recognition, Mrs Amina Oyagbola, MTN Corporate Services Executive, described the Best Mobile Operator of the Year award as “exhilarating.”

She added that the recent Award is a confirmation of the influence of the telecoms giant in the sector and its massive impact in the lives of its teeming customers.

She disclosed that MTN opened the year 2006 with the Best CSR Company of the year at the 11th THISDAY Awards held in Lagos. That was immediately followed by a highly acclaimed international award – the Best Use of Phone in the Community, which its Rural Telephone Project won at the 3GSM World Congress in Barcelona, Spain.

Since it launched its operation in Nigeria five years ago, MTN Nigeria according to Oyabgola has won a string of awards and endorsements including THISDAY award for Brand of the Year, 2002 and 2004 and CSR Company of the Year 2005, Brand of the Year at the 2005 Nigerian Telecoms award as well as the City People Award for Excellence.

The company has also chalked up a Gold Award for Creativity and Quality of Service Delivery at the Nigerian Information Technology & Telecom Awards, NITTA 2002 and the Microsoft Award for doing the most to drive up the standards of IT services delivery in Nigeria.

In 2004, MTN was voted the Best Voice Calling Marketer of the Year at the Marketing Leaders Awards, and a Leadership Award 2004 from Card Technology Africa. The company also picked up other distinguished awards such as Most Media Friendly GSM Operator in Nigeria, Nigeria’s Most Respected Company Award as well as the Nigerian Society of Engineers award.

According to Oyagbola, “This is yet another endorsement of our continuous efforts to provide excellent service to our customers.”

Thanking the organisers for the honour, Oyagbola assured that the company was determined to uphold the confidence reposed in it by the Nigerian public. “We shall not rest on our oars. We committed to excellence and innovation” she enthused.

Over the past five years, MTN Nigeria has sustained its position as a telecoms behemoth with innovative product and marketing delivery resulting in a soaring subscriber base. MTN Nigeria, through the MTN Foundation has also earned an enviable track record of impactful social investment and community service.In a related development,Demola Elesho ,Chief Executive Officer of pioneer wireless telecommunications company, MTSFirst, emerged winner of the coveted “Best Telecom Personality” of the year award at the Nigerian Telecom Awards category..

According to organizers of the award, the choice of Eleso was informed by the remarkable rebirth of MTS and the re-positioning of the company as a major contender in the fast growing and highly competitive telecommunications industry in the country. “What Dem Eleso has accomplished with the MTS brand is simply an extra-ordinary feat and we are extremely impressed by the turn-around of the company within an incredibly short period of time.”

In his reaction at the event, Eleso dedicated the award to the resilience, hardwork, determination and support of the entire MTS staff, management, shareholders and directors of the company. He also expressed his gratitude to the organizers for the recognition extended to him and the entire MTS brand. According to Eleso “in spite of its many challenges, MTS has re-emerged to take its rightful position as a pioneer in the telecommunications industry and will continually deploy the imperative strategies aimed at actualizing its corporate objective “To be the local telecoms champion providing our customers with simple, dependable and affordable services”.

To many industry watchers, Eleso’s award is a major milestone that bears the trademark of the expertise of an emerging telecommunications icon.

Highly resourceful and forward-looking, it was the Eleso led management team’s business strategy that set off MTS on an aggressive expansion coverage to Abeokuta, Ibadan, Abuja, Port Harcourt while improving services in Lagos with over 12 additional base stations.

By sharpening the company’s marketing strategy, Eleso also increased the MTS market share. Today, the brand enjoys significant awareness and visibility which has culminated in the stimulation and sustainability of customer loyalty.

Eleso’s strings of successes however predates his appointment with MTS. Mr. Network as he is fondly called by the media, it was he who supervised and saw to the successful implementation of Y’ello Bahn, a mega backbone which earned his former employers a competing edge in the industry.

Other nominees in the category were Sifiso Dabengwa, former CEO of MTN and Chief Ezekiel Fatoye, CEO, Multilinks Telecommunications Limited. The very colorful event was chaired by Nigeria’s former military leader, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar (rtd). Also in attendance were other top government functionaries like the Minister of Communications, Chief Cornelius Adebayo, Governor Gbenga Daniel of Ogunstate, Governor Saminu Turaki of Jigawa and the Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Engr. Ernest Ndukwe.

Source- http://allafrica.com/stories/200608240145.html