The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Airtel

  • We’re set for MNP, says Airtel chief

    AIRTEL Nigeria is ready to implement the Mobile Number Portability (MNP), its Managing Director/Chief Exeutive Officer Segun Ogunsanya has said.

    Ogunsanya, said with Airtel’s robust and expanded 3.75G network coverage, many subscribers who had waited so long to join the “best friends network” could exploit the window offered by the MNP to realise their dreams.

    He said Airtel was the first telecoms operator in the country to call for the implementation of MNP during its brand launch on November, 19, 2010 at the Hilton Hotel in Abuja.

    “I am happy to inform you that we have done all our homework and we are fully ready for the MNP go-live date. Airtel has transformed its network, investing over $1.5billion to improve network efficiency and quality.

    ‘’Airtel was the first telecoms operator to complete 4G LTE (Long Term Evolution) trial in Nigeria and also the first service provider to roll out HD (High Definition) voice in the country,” he said.

    He added that the telco has altered the nation’s telecoms landscape with its tariff and value offerings with the launch of several groundbreaking tariff and service platforms, including 2Good Offers, MAMO (My Airtel My Offer) and a bouquet of data offerings, pointing out that with such an impressive record, he had no doubt that Airtel was the network of choice to Nigerians.

    Director, Regulatory Affairs and Special Projects of the firm, Osondu Nwokoro, who spoke on how the MNP works, he said Airtel had a history of being customer-centric as evident in the numerous customer service awards it had won.

     

     

     

  • NCC lifts ban on promotions on Airtel, Globacom, Etisalat

    NCC lifts ban on promotions on Airtel, Globacom, Etisalat

    The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has lifted the ban placed on promotions on Airtel, Globacom and Etisalat networks, Mr Tony Ojobo, the NCC Director of Public Affairs, has said.

    He told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Friday that the lifting of the ban was because the three service providers met the regulatory body’s December 2012 Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).

    Ojobo, however, said that the ban placed on promotions on MTN network was still in force.

    ”The ban on MTN still remains in force until the KPIs are met.

    “We expect that the networks will all continue to provide good Quality of Service (QoS),” he said.

    NAN recalls that the NCC, on Nov. 12, 2012, placed the ban on all promotions by telecom operators as well as lotteries on the GSM networks.

    Ojobo then said that the ban, which took immediate effect, would remain in force until the commission decided otherwise.

    He said the ban was introduced because NCC was inundated with many complaints from consumers and stakeholders against the various promotions offered by the operators.

    Ojobo said that the commission carefully evaluated the complaints  to sustain the integrity of the networks.

    He said that the complaints were also evaluated in the general interest of consumers and socio-economic impact.

  • Airtel, others partner on Blackberry 10

    AirteL and MTN have sealed deals with Research In Motion (RIM). The deal will see Nigerians have the opportunity to own the latest BlackBerry Z10 smartphone by pre-ordering for the device through their shops across the country.

    Airtel says customers who pre-orderfor the latest BlackBerry Z10 smartphone would be provided with the opportunity of having the device delivered to the nearest sales point of their choice for pick up.

    For N100, 000 only, Airtel customers would have the privilege of owning the latest device from BlackBerry complete with smart features that would provide them with distinctive communication experience.

    Airtel’s Chief Marketing Officer, Olu Akanmu, said the company’s superior and widest 3.75G coverage across the country would complement the unique computing features of the smartphone to provide customers with a delightful internet experience irrespective of their location.

    “Our partnership with BlackBerry to serve Nigerian consumers with one of the best in-class telecommunication technology product firms up Airtel’s resolve to dictate the pace of innovation and value creation in the Nigerian telecoms market in our quest to become the most loved brand in the daily lives of Nigerians”, he said.

    For MTN, the deal will make its customers in Nigeria to be among the first users in the world to experience the new, wave-making Blackberry Z10 smartphone which is the first smartphone based on the re-designed, re-engineered and re-invented BlackBerry 10 platform, giving customers a powerful and unique new mobile computing experience.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Airtel, Ericsson partner on network upgrade

    Bharti Airtel is undertaking networking transformation programme in its mobile operations in 16 African countries. The programme, according to a statement, is the largest on the continent. It involves the upgrade and expansion of network elements on Airtel’s African operations, including switching, radio, network management, data, charging, and consumer-services platforms and systems.

    This transformation, in which Ericsson is a partner, has deployed the latest wireless technologies, would enhance Airtel’s network capacity and robustness and help deliver best-in-class services to customers at affordable rates. This also makes Airtel’s networks ready for next generation services that include high speed data and value added services.

    Also, an upgrade of the charging platforms in its operations was implemented, introducing the latest version of Ericsson’s Charging System, enabling Airtel to offer subscribers new and innovative value-added services, such as mobile wallets. This project will result in Airtel’s 60+ million customers having a better experience on their networks.

    Chief Technical Officer, Airtel Africa, Eben Albertyn, said: ”The customer is at the core of everything we do at Airtel. The implementation of this transformation programme will enable us to further enrich our customer experience across the region. It allows us to provide Airtel subscribers with the best network possible while meeting the growing usage of mobile data.

    “Our long-standing relationship with Ericsson gave us confidence in their ability to manage and deliver such a large and complex project.”

    Backed by 12,000 consulting and systems integration professionals across the world, over 100 Ericsson resources worked onsite to ensure successful delivery of this complex project – the largest network modernisation programme in Africa’s telecom history. Ericsson’s systems integration organisation according to the statement, delivers more than 1,500 systems integration projects per year in multi-vendor and multiple-technology environments. Projects range from single-solution integrations to end-to-end solution transformation projects such as this one.

  • Airtel seeks action on facilities protection

    Airtel seeks action on facilities protection

    Airtel Nigeria has urged the Federal Government to expedite action on declaring telecoms facilities critical national infrastructure because of threats posed to them.

    Airtel made the call at a briefing on “Recent developments impacting telecommunications operations and quality of service.” It was drawing attention to the harmful impact of terrorist operations in the North, floods in the South and Middle Belt, the challenges posed by multiple taxation and levies and damage to telecom infrastructure.

    It’s Director of Regulatory Affairs & Special Projects, Mr Osondu Nwokoro said the government’s action in fast tracking the declaration would confer priority and protected status on the facilities.

    He headed the Ministry of Communication Technology and Ministry of Works for articulating a national Right of Way policy, the government in collaborate with states and local governments to ensure the elimination of discordant policies.

    He said: “Airtel commends government’s resolve in addressing multiple regulation incidents with various states and the FCT, including the recent policy on Rights of Way (RoW) and ongoing work through the Industry Working Group on Multiple Taxation. We urge further action in that regard, especially in relation to the following cases which have become critical: LCC, UFRU and Katsina State.” LCC refers to the Lekki Concession Company, the firm that got the right from the Lagos State government to expand the Lekki-Ajah Express way. While carrying out its work, LCC deliberately and maliciously damaged telecom fibre belonging to Airtel while asking for payments of more than N1 billion. Airtel said this was a case of request for double payment as the company had made Right of Way payments on the same road to the Lagos State government before the concession.

    In Katsina State, government officials are imposing various taxes and frustrating efforts by Airtel to add fibre cables to expand and improve quality of service in the state.

    These challenges according to Airtel are in addition to the damage caused by terrorist activity in the North and the flooding in parts of the country. It said the challenges had increased operational costs three folds and had adversely affected quality of service subscribers receive.

    According to him, this deplorable operational landscape is even made worse by the whimsical implementation of law and order issues in some states as construction workers on some locations across the country find it easy to maliciously severe fiber-optic cables that crisscross the land while operators hemorrhage from multiple and conflicting taxation and regulatory intervention.

    Nwokoro, however, assured Nigerians and subscribers on the Airtel network that the company had taken decisive steps to mitigate the damage done to its facilities by sealing facility-sharing agreements with other telecom operators. Airtel has also engaged highly efficient private security companies to protect its facilities and is collaborating with security agencies to ensure maximum protection of telecom facilities across the country.

    Airtel is also rapidly replacing damaged facilities where possible to ensure customers do not lack service. It has revived 112 of the 193 cell sites bombed out of service by terrorists in Northern Nigeria while working to restore the balance.

     

  • Terrorist attacks, floods damage Airtel’s 193 BTS

    Airtel Nigeria has raised the alarm over the damage to its facilities in the North caused by terrorist acts and flood.

    These twin challenges have also led to loss of equipment and degeneration of service.

    The firm called on the Federal Government to declare Telecoms Equipment as critical national infrastructure.

    It appealed to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to make the restoration of telecoms facilities in flooded areas a priority in its restoration plans.

    The Director, Regulatory Affairs, Osondu Nwokoro, who spoke in Lagos, said the bombing and flooding have affected locations with impact across Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Kaduna, Kano and Yobe states.

    Osondu said 32 BTS were flooded, 41 were affected. Lokoja Dagama, Lokoja-Okene, Asaba-Ughelli, Ughelli-Patani, Patani-Elele suffered submerged fibre optic cables.

    He said this development has affected service quality as the BTS affected were mostly routing and signalling links such that connectivity between local and distant calls were disrupted.

    Osondu said the telco’s remediation and restoration initiative has yielded dividends as 112 BTS have been resuscitated at a very great cost.

    “We are engaging more on facility-sharing. We are doing 250 with MTN while we are discussing another 100. “We are also doing fibre lease with other operators,” he said.

    He, however, assured subscribers that the company had taken steps to mitigate the damage done to its facilities by sealing facility-sharing agreements with other operators, engaging the services of private security companies as well as collaborating with security agencies to ensure maximum protection of telecoms facilities across the country.

     

  • Enterprise: Airtel challenges youths on collaboration

    Enterprise: Airtel challenges youths on collaboration

    Nigerian youths have been urged to collaborate to beat economic challenges frustrating their efforts at realising their entrepreneurship potential.

    Chief Marketing Officer, Airtel Nigeria, Olu Akanmu, made the call in Ikeja, Lagos, at the unveiling of Airtel Nigeria’s new thematic campaign tagged Padi Na Good Thing O. The campaign seeks to enthrone Airtel Nigeria in the minds of Nigerians as the network for friendship.

    He reminded Nigerian youths that times have changed and those who desire success must change with the times, maintaining that young people who wish to transform their talents to success must embrace collaboration.

    “In my generation,” Akanmu said, “it was common to see someone beat his/her chest and say ‘I made myself.’ But this is no longer so. Young people today flock together, thereby drawing synergy from one another on the journey to success.”

    He said the new thematic campaign was part of Airtel’s strategy to encourage the youth to cooperate, hence, the company chose Half Dollar, an upcoming musician who his friends helped to attain success to champion the campaign.

    According to the CMO, “interpretation of success has changed. Today, youths succeed with friends. When you see a Nigerian superstar from Europe in a club, he flocks with friends. That’s the story that we seek to tell with this new campaign.”

    Nigerian youths who have succeeded seem to share a common storyline, coming from humble backgrounds and succeeding with the aid of friends, associates or family. Their unique tales, according to Akanmu, can be summed up with these words: “I am going on a journey to success. I go with my friends and when I succeed, I will celebrate with my friends.”

    This is a bold endorsement that friends succeed together, hence, Airtel’s the new campaign Padi na good thing O.

    This growing trend has been identified by Airtel as a virtue and the company through its campaign has strategised to encourage youths to cash in on quality friendship to turn talents and passion into success. Fast rising music act Half Dollar, an undergraduate, has seen his music career on the path of success because his friends noticed his talent and supported him by contributing money for him to buy music equipment; helped him register in an Airtel Nigeria-sponsored talent hunt where he shone like a million stars. So, the young man is now on his way to success, which would not have been possible without his friends!

    “Half Dollar’s story typifies that of many Nigerian youths and Airtel would want to see such replicated so that many more youths can achieve their dreams,” he said.

    On his part, an elated Half Dollar, who was on hand to lend credence to the campaign, said: “My friends are my blood and Airtel is the vein. You know that without blood, you won’t be alive. But without the veins the blood cannot flow. I am very excited to be where I am today; all thanks to my friends and Airtel. Padi na good thing O!

     

  • Airtel has the best human resources practice, says CIPM

    Airtel has the best human resources practice, says CIPM

    The regulatory body of Human Resources practice in Nigeria, the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM), has honoured Airtel Nigeria with the Best Human Resources Practices Award in the telecommunications sector.

    The prestigious award came on the heels of a comprehensive, independent audit conducted by CIPM among major GSM operators in the country.

    The award was presented to an Airtel team, comprising Human Resources Director Jubril Saba; Head: Shared Services, Tunde Oginni and Head: HR Operations & Analysis, Otu Umoren at the opening of the 44th annual conference of CIPM, yesterday, at the International Conference Centre in Abuja.

    At the event, Airtel was praised for complying with global HR standards and for following best practices in its employee relations.

    The company’s Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, Rajan Swaroop, dedicated the award to the members of staff of, saying the recognition was an eloquent testimony of the dedication and good work of employees.

    “As an employer of choice in Nigeria, our highly motivated employees are always happy to follow best practices in delighting both internal and external stakeholders. We desire to be the most loved brand in the daily lives of Nigerians and we will continue to push ourselves very hard in actualising this optimistic vision,” he said.

    CIPM was established in 1968 to regulate the practice of human resource management and promote excellence in the acquisition and application of knowledge and skills by practitioners, thereby contributing to sustainable national development.

  • Airtel appoints CEOs for Congo, Gabon

    Airtel Africa, yesterday announced the appointment of Louis Lubala and Antoine Pamboro as the new Managing Directors of its operations in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Gabon respectively.

    The new development sees the two vastly experienced Airtel top executives, take leadership roles in the two African nations with diverse potential in the telecommunications sector.

    Gabon has one of the highest teledensity statistics at over a 100 per cent, whilst Congo, the second largest country in Africa by area, has an approximated 25 per cent penetration.

    Speaking on the appointments, Mr. Tiemoko Coulibaly, CEO Francophone Africa, Bharti Airtel, said:  “These appointments are a clear indication of our commitment to appreciate and tap into the deep reservoir of management skills of the blue chip executive pool in Africa. Mr. Luballa and Mr. Pambaro have the requisite experience and leadership skills to successfully steer our top francophone operations.” He added: “Both executives will bring different perspectives to two of Africa’s most dynamic telecommunications markets.”

    Louis and Antoine will add significant value to Airtel’s customers in each country, Mr. Luballa will lead an aggressive agenda in DRC to ramp up the organization’s network capabilities and grow availability across the vast country whilst Mr. Pambaro will build a strong data proposition for Airtel’s customers in Gabon.

  • Businessman sues Airtel for N2b over Sms

    Airtel has been taken to court by an Ibadan-based businessman, Mr. Wole Abisoye, for non-delivery of short messages services (SMS).

    He is claiming N2 billion as damages for the non-delivery of the text messages as “a breach of the defendant’s obligation to him”.

    Abisoye is claiming that Airtel failed to deliver 17 short message services (sms) sent on its network since January 1, 2012.

    In an originating summon filed by his counsel, Luqman Laoye,  Abisoye said he sent New Year messages to 20 of his business associates and clients using his Airtel number but only three of the messages were delivered.

    He said Airtel deducted charges for the 20 messages whereas it failed to deliver all the messages.

    The businessman claimed that he lodged a complaint on the issue to the  company at one of the branches of Airtel in Ibadan which was not attended to.

    He said his  repeated complaints were equally not attended to at the Ibadan office of the telecommunication company.

    Abisoye said his complaints were lodged at Airtel office on Secretariat Road, Mokola, five days after he sent the messages in January, 2012.

    In the statement of claim, also signed by his lawyer, Laoye, the businessman claimed that the non-delivery of the messages has brought him to ridicule and loss of goodwill as his clients and associates ‘have refused to patronise him again, a situation that forced him to instruct his lawyer to sue the company.’

    “The claimant has suffered monumental embarrassment, ridicule, loss of goodwill, trust and confidence from his clients and business associates, who believe he was lying when he asserted that he sent New Year messages to them through the defendant’s network which have not been delivered till date.

    “The claimant had also lost many lucrative businesses from his clients and business associates, who have refused to patronize him again on the promise that, he, the claimant, is not worthy of transacting business with on account of his perceived deceit with respect to the non-delivery of the New Year text messages he (claimant) allegedly sent to his clients and business associates”, Laoye said.