Nigeria’s Second
National Operator, Globacom, has been awarded a licence to provide GSM
Services in Republic of
Benin .
The
Company was granted the licence at the weekend by the Beninoise
Government after it emerged tops in a keen contest.
Several
Telecoms operators including Lab Green
Networks of Libya and
Telecom so participated in the bid.
Globacom sources said the
Nigerian Company was preferred to the other bidders because of its perceived “technical superiority and ability to deliver.”
The sources said the Beninoise
Government was also convinced by Globacom’s ability to launch
Services in that country within sixty days, a key requirement by the
Telecoms authorities.
Benin Republic had recently suspended the licences of two of the GSM operators in the country, MTN and Atlantique
Telecom , which is controlled by Emirates Telecommunications, over dispute on regulatory fees. The suspension of the licences prompted the
Government to hold a
New round of bidding to award one more GSM licence in order to improve
Telecoms Services in the country.
The granting of GSM licence to Globacom is seen as a boost for the network’s efforts to rule the
African telecommunications market. The
Company ’s officials described the licence as a step towards the realisation of its vision of becoming “the largest, most successful
Information , entertainment and telecommunications solutions provider in
Africa ”.
Although Globacom, which started operations only in 2003, launched its
Services two years after the commencement of GSM
Services in
Nigeria , it has been at the forefront of revolutionary changes in
Nigeria ’s
Telecom Industry . It pioneered the Per Second Billing (PSB)
System at launch in 2003 when other operators said it was not possible to offer the payment option until 2007. It also led the crashing of SIM cost to
Industry average of N200 and call tariffs to as
Low as N10 per minute, thus making it possible for millions of Nigerians to own a GSM.
Globacom has pioneered a
Host of
Value added
Services in
Nigeria including Multimedia Messaging
Services , mobile internet, voice SMS, GPRS roaming and the revolutionary Blackberry.
The
Company has successfully tested the 3G network, the latest
Technology in the
Industry and is about to launch the
Technology .
Its
Gateway subsidiary, Glo
Gateway , is already a
Major player in
International telecommunications
Services , while the fixed line network, Broadband
Access is already in service while formal launch will be held in the next couple of weeks.
