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Tag: Airtel

  • Police MfB, Intel, Airtel partner on ICT

    A technology firm, Intel, in conjuction with Airtel and the Nigerian Police  Force (NPF) Micro Finance Bank (NPF MfB),  has partnered on information communication technology (ICT).

    Intel Country Manager  Mr. Olubunmi Ekundare said the partnership was designed to add value and bring technology closer to the people.

    Speaking during the partnership programme at the Zone 2, Command headquarters in Onikan, Lagos, Mr Ekundare said ICT is crucial for security, hence the reason for the partnership.

    According to him, the aim is to make technology more accessible and affordable to all, while creating jobs and promoting Small Scale Enterprises (SME’s).

    Intel Business Development Manager, Folake Oyekanmi, said every police officer, who is a customer with NPF MfB, can benefit from the Personal Computer (PC) offering.

    She said ICT is the next big thing, adding that all age group must accept ICT. “We are giving out the PC, the next money making machine at a very low price, NPF MfB will offer loan for its acquisition and Airtel will provide free internet services to make use of the device. We are also going to train the police on how to use the PC and on entrepreneurship to start a business; all that would be needed to start a business will be downloaded on the PC. The PC’s have large memory, it is very fast and portable,” she said.

    Airtel Senior Manager, Devices and Partnership, Bobby Iduoze said the partnership is an opportunity to learn and engage oneself.

    He said Airtel will offer free data services to anyone who purchased the PC from the NPF MfB.

    “We will give your PC five gigbyte (5G) worth of free data to connect to other devices,” he said.

    Deputy Commissioner of Police, Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, Zone 2, Lagos, Mr.  Isaac Akinmoyede said as the world is growing in ICT, there is need for security officials to grow along same direction.

    “The way of doing things has changed over the years and the police cannot afford to be left behind; we have to move with the trend,” he said.

  • AIRTEL’S THE VOICE NIGERIA GETS TOUGHER

    AIRTEL’S THE VOICE NIGERIA GETS TOUGHER

    AS episode 10 of The Voice Nigeria aired on Sunday, June 12, viewers were given a good dose of excitement, hope, uncertainty and tears as they watched round three of the ongoing battle.

    The show opened with #TeamTimi giving his contestants Cornel and Obass his own song, Wish me well to battle over. The strong performance which showed the baritone and dexterity of both contestants saw Obass head home while Cornel remains.

    #TeamWaje’s girls, Arese and Flourish gave a redition of Stronger by Kelly Clarkson and Arese’s strong voice keeps her in the game. Also, #TeamWaje’s boys Michael and Dewe learnt their voice to Phil Collins and Mariah Carey’s Against All Odds. Their soulful rendition definitely kept both of them on the show as #TeamTimi saved the day by stealing Dewe.

    Also in the game, #TeamTuBaba’s contestants, Jennifer and Tobore, did justice to Awww by DiJa. Their fantastic performance kept them both in the show as Jennifer still joins #TeamTubaba while #TeamTimi steals Tobore. #TeamTimi contestants Happiness and Kofo perform Irawo by Seyi Shay, and Kofo’s soulful perform secures her a win.

    For #TeamPatoranking, Nonso Bassey and Shimar battled it out with Bruno Mars’ Treasure. But #TeamPatoranking is one member less as Shimar lost the round.

    As the battle gets hotter, and the steals keep rolling, the judges are left with just two steals up for grabs.

  • THE BATTLE RAGES ON AIRTEL ‘THE VOICE NIGERIA’

    THE BATTLE RAGES ON AIRTEL ‘THE VOICE NIGERIA’

    IT was emotional series of battles as contestants went against one another on the ninth episode of The Voice Nigeria.

    While Prime and Ralph of #TeamPatoranking performed Rude by Magic, with Prime chosen as the winner by his coach, #TeamTubaba’s duo of Precious and Chichi performed Kedike by Chidinma, with Precious going through to the next round.  Waje however stole Chichi, thus saving her from elimination.

    On the other hand, #TeamWaje’s Joxy and Khemmy dueled with the performance of Adele’s Set Fire to the Rain, with Khemmy emerging as the victor. #TeamTimi’s Armstrong Martins and Viveeyan performed Counting Stars with Armstrong winning the battle while Viveeyan was stolen by Tubaba.

    #TeamPatoranking had Linda Inneka and the highlife crooner, Ikechukwu, performing Kiss Daniel’s Laye, a performance that saw Linda getting picked by her coach.

    #TeamTubaba paired two vocal powerhouses in Theodora and Roxy as they sang Adele’s Rollin’ in the Deep with Theodora going through.

    The battle continues to heat up as only four steals remain up for grabs. Who wins again next week, and who goes home on The Voice Nigeria? Find out on Sunday Africa Magic Showcase (DStv 151), and catch all the highlights from the show on Wednesday at 8.30pm and 7pm on Galaxy TV and ONtv respectively. You can also downloadThe Voice Nigeria app on the Apple and Android app stores for more updates.

  • KUDOS AS AIRTEL HOLDS BLIND AUDITIONS

    KUDOS AS AIRTEL HOLDS BLIND AUDITIONS

    AS the blind auditions for The Voice Nigeria came to as end, viewers across the country have hailed telecommunications services provider, Airtel, for sponsoring the musical talent show. As the blind auditions ended over the weekend in the episode 7, excited viewers were stuck to their seats with eyes glued to the television sets as they watched the judges battle it out to woo the best contestants to their various teams.

    The highlight of the show was Cornel’s soulful rendition of When a Woman Loves, a theatrical performance that captivated the crowd as wells as the judges. He was joined by Viveeyan, to complete #TeamTimi.

    Nonso’s rendition of a Kiss from a Rose won him a spot on #TeamPatoranking together with Osuwake who sang The Greatest Love of All. Despite the clever gambit by Waje and Patoranking to win Nonso over, the contestant still went with #TeamPatoranking, not swayed by the enticing kiss from Waje.

    Theodora who had all the four judges turn finally pitched her tent with #TeamTubaba; and the twin singers DNA completed this team.

    Theblind auditions saw each judge listening to several contestants blindly after which the voice of the contestant can move a judge to turn. If more than one judge turns,the contestant has the power to pick a judge’s team to belong to.

    TheVoiceNigeria Blind auditions have been “emotionally draining, intense, tedious but also a fulfilling journey. We look forward to the battle and the steal,” said the coaches.

  • Airtel, Ericsson seek affordable broadband

    Airtel, Ericsson seek affordable broadband

    With over 90 per cent of the world’s population to be covered by mobile broadband networks by 2021, Airtel Nigeria and Ericsson are seeking affordable and ubiquitous broadband that will boost Nigeria’s gross domestic product (GDP).

    In the second half of last year, Nigeria was among the top five countries worldwide in terms of mobile subscription additions, while Nigerian businesses are increasingly adopting mobile-first strategies.

    According to Ericsson Mobility Report Sub-Saharan Africa unveiled last year, 83 per cent of mobile phone subscribers in Nigeria rely solely on their mobile device for their internet connectivity.  To address this growing demand and increase access to affordable mobile broadband internet service, Airtel Nigeria and Ericsson are rolling out Ericsson Radio System (ERS) across the country.

    ERS’s multi-standard platform will enable the telco to cost-effectively leverage the reach, maturity and increasing affordability of 3G technology, while laying the foundation for their 4G and 5G evolution. The network-wide solution incorporates a broad range of products including: radio, baseband, small cells, backhaul, fronthaul, enclosures, power site equipment and the controller. These products are augmented through twice-yearly network software updates, and through Ericsson Global Services offerings.

    Chief Commercial Officer, Airtel Nigeria, Ahmed Mokhles, said: “Mobile broadband access is really a prerequisite to achieving our key objective of enriching the lives and empowering the people of Nigeria to benefit both consumers and industry.  Ericsson Radio System provides the performance and efficiency to support this objective while also ensuring a future-proof evolution as Nigeria continues to establish itself as a progressive and innovative ICT-driven country.”

    By 2021, it is forecast that more than 90 per cent of the world´s population will be covered by mobile broadband networks.  Meanwhile, cost points for entry-level cellular devices reduced by 85 per cent over the last 10 years.  This increasing device affordability addresses the major barrier to entry and is achieved through the global economies of scale enabled by cellular standards.

    Head of Business Unit Radio, Ericsson, Arun Bansal, said:  “Airtel Nigeria and their customers are directly benefitting from the performance and efficiency innovations designed in to the Ericsson Radio System – network-wise, its future-proof multi-standard platform ensures a smooth evolution, while its compact, modular design reduces operating costs enabling Airtel Nigeria to offer more affordable mobile broadband access today.

    “Ericsson Radio System has already won both the Global Mobile Award for Best Mobile Infrastructure and the Red Dot Award for Product Design, but it is the recognition of our key customers like Airtel Nigeria that matters the most.”

    Ericsson Radio System was launched at MWC 2015, and started shipping to customers in Q3 2015.  Its innovative rail system enables the Ericsson Radio System to adapt to any site, with zero floor footprint and easy one-bolt installation while its modular, compact and energy efficient radios reduce both operating and capital expenses, delivering three times the capacity density with 50 per cent improvement in energy efficiency.  As operators, such as Airtel Nigeria, strive to deliver the best possible performance and quality of experience in the most cost-efficient way, Ericsson Radio System’s multi-standard, multi-band, multi-layer architecture supports their requirements today and on the road to 5G.

    Ericsson has also launched software and hardware innovations, including Intelligent Antenna Sharing, aimed at lowering the cost of mobile broadband access, and a Managed Rural Coverage services offering focused specifically on addressing the economic challenges of delivering mobile broadband access to rural areas.

  • Airtel reviews data tariff to customers

    Airtel reviews data tariff to customers

    In demonstration of its commitment to becoming the mobile Internet services provider of first choice for telecoms consumers in Nigeria, leading telecoms operator Airtel Nigeria has announced a review of its data tariff plans in a strategic move to offer more value to customers.

    Under the new data plans, customers can now enjoy up to 30megabyte (MB) with just N100, and 7GB at just N3,500 for a 30 day period. Customers can activate the new tariff plan by dialling *141#

    Speaking on the revised data plans, Chief Commercial Officer, Airtel Nigeria, Ahmed Mokhles, said the data offering was designed specifically to cater for the needs  of the various segments of mobile Internet consumers.

  • Airtel, Facebook offer free internet to customers

    Bharti Airtel Africa, a leading telecommunications service provider with operations in 17 countries across Africa, yesterday launched Free Basics in Nigeria in partnership with Facebook.

    With this partnership Airtel customers will be able to access all the services that are available through Free Basics without paying extra for data charges or rental.

    Free Basics provides basic mobile websites and services for free to people around the world and demonstrating the value the internet can provide.

    With more than 85 free services dedicated to health, education, jobs, and finance, customers will have unlimited access to data.  To date, Facebook estimates that its connectivity efforts, which include Free Basics, have brought more than 25 million people online who would not be otherwise.

    Airtel Africa will also be offering Facebook Flex in Nigeria, which allows people to access a version of Facebook without data charges. This initiative is part of Facebook’s commitment to bringing people online and reducing affordability barriers.

    MD/ CEO of Airtel Africa, Christian de Faria,  said: “We’re pleased to take this big step forward in our partnership with Facebook, bringing more people online in Africa’s most populous country and helping to further narrow the digital divide. This builds on our vision of using our widespread 3G network to help improve lives and communities by empowering them with access to digital content and services that are tailored to their needs.”

  • Airtel takes WiFi services to Lagos City Mall

    Airtel takes WiFi services to Lagos City Mall

    The Lagos City Mall has struck a deal with Airtel to provide free Wi-Fi services at the mall in its determination to provide value added services to its numerous tenants and visitors.

    The Airtel Wi-Fi services are meant to serve public places such as malls, airports, universities, hotels and event places. This service is for users with Wi-Fi enabled devices like mobile phones, laptops and tablets.

    Chief Executive Officer, Ibukun Efuntayo & Co, managers of the mall, Mr. Emmanuel Efuntayo,  said the latest deal was part of its current efforts at rewarding loyal visitors to the mall. He said the Wi-Fi will provide superfast internet services to mall visitors once they are within the premises and log on to the platform. He said the mall wanted to connect more with its tenants and visitors and at the same time help satisfy their communication needs.

    “The free Wi-Fi services is another value added service from us to our tenants and customers and it is an attestation to our commitment to improve their shopping experience. It is part of our efforts to welcome more people and make the mall a friendly place for them. When you come into the mall even without data on your phone, you can browse for free for the first 15 minutes while shopping. We believe that given its status as one of the leading malls in the country, Lagos City Mall should have this facility in place. Shopping at Lagos City Mall is fun and will stop at nothing to sustain the experience,” he said.

    Already some users of the facility have welcomed the new service saying it would positively enrich their shopping experience. They said beside other attractions at the mall, the free Wi-Fi services would give them another reason to shop at Lagos City Mall

    The Chief Executive Officer also hinted that the Lagos City Mall was poised to continue to offer quality shopping experience to visitors at the mall. He described the Lagos City Mall as a one-stop shopping and entertainment centre where friends and families can visit to unwind. Apart from the quality experience offered by the mall, he said the mall was strategically located for shopping comfort.

    “At the Lagos City Mall, we have the advantage of accessibility both for people living on the Island and on the Mainland. It is easier to connect and exit. We have a generous car park and adequate security for shoppers and their properties. The Lagos City Mall is just a few metres away from the Onikan Police Station which guarantees the security of mall visitors and tenants alike,” he said.

    He added that a top of the class restaurant would open in the mall soon to complement the other eateries and pubs that offer quality services to upwardly mobile people who live on the Lagos Mainland but work on the Island to get adequate refreshment while waiting for traffic to ease before going home.

    He urged visitors and residents of Lagos to patronize the mall for their lifestyle shopping and entertainment. He said the mall would create more fun and social hub for the upscale south west of Ikoyi, Victoria Island and Lagos Island.

    The mall boasts of retail brands in Body & Beauty, Fashion, lifestyle, banking, Telecoms, food and restaurants, health, grocery and supermarket, Accessories and gift store, game arcade, multipurpose event hall and Entertainment aimed at creating a renewed and memorable shopping experience.

     

  • Airtel unveils SmartSpeedoo

    Airtel unveils SmartSpeedoo

    Airtel Nigeria has unveiled SmartSpeedoo, a service that allows customers experience real data while browsing at affordable tariff and enjoy free megabytes.

    The solution, which can be activated by using *141#, was unveiled during a press briefing in Ikeja, Lagos.

    Speaking on the occasion, its Chief Commercial Officer, Ahmad Mokhles, said the company is passionate about creating innovative mobile internet platforms, value offerings and opportunities that will help telecoms consumers in Nigeria stay connected and be fully empowered to fulfill their dreams.

    He said: “Airtel Nigeria is intensely interested in democratising data tariff and we have taken a huge step forward in this journey in line with our major objective of becoming the provider of first choice for mobile Internet services.”

    Speaking on how it works, its Vice President, Data & Digital Services, Nitin Anand said customers using Smart Speedoo enjoy low rate in addition to free data the more they browse.

    “When a customer uses up to 10mb (megabyte) at 1kobo/kb (kilobyte), Airtel gives 10mb free; when the usage gets to 50mb, the browsing rate drops to 0.5kobo/kb, then the user gets 50mb free. When the customer’s usage reaches 100mb, the rate drops further to 0.2kobo/kb and the user gets 100mb free,” Anand explained, noting that the cycle continues every month, thereby giving Airtel customers the Free Surf experience.

    While commenting on the superfast 3G internet, which Smart Speedoo rides on, Anand noted that Airtel has the largest deployment of 3G Internet Provider (IP) sites in the country to enable the telco offer internet speed of up to 42mbps, which is very close to the long term evolution (LTE) speed.

    “Almost 80 to 85 per cent of all Airtel 3G sites in Nigeria are IP enabled so they can give you the speed of 42mbps, this speed is similar to the speed you get on LTE network. So, we can proudly announce that customers can get real data experience on the Airtel 3G network, which is equal to 4G speed,” he said.

    Its Head, Data & Portals, David Umoh explained that Airtel customers using the service do not need to remember USSD code to buy data or worry about airtime being used up when out of data while browsing, as SmartSpeedoo gives pop-up notifications to show usage.

    He said Smart Speedoo gives ‘free internet in everyone’s hand’ as it enables customers to be in control of their data usage while surfing at a very low rate, noting that the telco will continue to roll out more innovative services designed to further empower Nigerians and offer them Free Surf experience.

     

  • Airtel CEO: Science education key to Nigeria’s growth

    Airtel CEO: Science education key to Nigeria’s growth

    The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Airtel Nigeria, Mr. Segun Ogunsanya, has urged policymakers to deepen science education in schools.

    He called for  a curriculum that prepares students for  present-day situations.

    Ogunsanya spoke at the 21st Annual Lecture, Award of Honours and Postgraduate Scholarship event organised by the Stephen Oluwole Awokoya Foundation for Science Education (SOAFSE) in Lagos on Tuesday.

    The Airtel CEO said: “With the advent of GSM, made possible by Science & Technology, it only takes just a few minutes to get a mobile number connected today. This is what technology does, it liberates people. Currently there are over 140 million connected mobile lines in Nigeria. And for every 10 per cent increase in connectivity, there is 1.3 per cent impact on Gross Domestic Product (GDP).”

    Ogunsanya recommended that Science Education should be made compulsory at secondary school level.

    The event, chaired by the founder and former Chairman of Diamond Bank, Mr. Pascal Dozie, also recorded the presentation of recognition awards to the Chairman, Chrisland Schools Ltd  and Chancellor of Chrisland University, Mrs. Winifred Awosika; Dr. Olufemi Lalude and Dr. Olumide Phillips. Eight students who graduated with First Class honours selected from various universities were awarded postgraduate scholarships.