• Thursday, March 28, 2024
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9mobile pushes 4G expansion to 16 Nigerian cities with $230m AFC loan

9mobile

Telecommunications service provider, 9mobile has revealed that part of the $230 million loan facility gotten from the Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) in August 2019, will be used to expand its fourth generation, long term evolution (4G LTE) network to reach 16 cities in Nigeria and improve network quality.

As part of the telco’s long term growth plans, 9mobile on Thursday announced that it has added 10 new cities and towns across Nigeria to its 4G network, and has upgraded LTE services in the six cities where the service previously existed, increasing the number of 4G covered cities and towns to 16 in total.

The 4G LTE expansion drive will be implemented in Aba, Abuja, Nasarawa, Calabar, Enugu, Kaduna, Kano, Lagos, Niger, Onitsha, Owerri, Port Harcourt, Sokoto, Uyo, Aba and Ogun.

Speaking at the company’s head office in Lagos during a press conference to announce the expansion, Stephane Beuvelet, acting managing director, 9mobile, identified the unique benefits available to customers with the 9mobile 4G LTE, including a low latency rate for high-speed connectivity and planned redundancy to minimize downtime impact.

“Apart from bringing 4G to these new cities, our 4G internet comes with the lowest latency rate in the market that guarantees the best speed results. The 9mobile network is purposely set up with adequate redundancies to neutralise the impact of shocks during downtime situations like the recent West-Africa fiber cuts experienced across the industry,” Beuvelet said.

He further assured of sustained investments into the network’s general infrastructure base to guarantee best-in-class experience for its customers.

Layi Onafowokan, acting director, marketing, 9mobile, said that the implementation of 4G in additional locations would ensure customers enjoy high-quality services. He said this was possible because 9mobile had earlier enhanced its RAN technologies to address network congestions and improve user experience across the country.

“Access to 4G LTE will further enable millions of our customers to make clear and crisp calls as well as have access to faster internet for browsing and online experience at all times,” he said.

Onafowokan said that as an innovative and customer-friendly telco, 9mobile would continue to deepen 4G penetration across Nigeria as well as empower its customers to be able to do more. To this end, he stated that over the next three months, 9mobile customers stand a chance to win fantastic prizes including sewing machines, power generating sets, grinding machines, refrigerators, pressing irons and free airtime among other freebies in the raffle draws that will be held as part of activities to create awareness of the 4G LTE deployment.

Apart from Network expansion, the loan facility divided in two tranches would, among others, has been used to pay repay some historic vendor obligation, finance costs and an interest reserve account, as well as payment towards quick win capex initiatives.

9mobile is the only Nigerian network that provides its customers with 4G-enabled SIM cards right from the point of purchase; therefore, customers do not need to request a SIM swap or upgrade to enjoy 4G LTE services.

The company recently increased investment in the deployment of cutting-edge technology across its value chain to deliver improved quality of service. The availability of a 4G network in these communities will open a whole new world of experience and possibilities for new and existing 9mobile subscribers.

 

Jumoke Akiyode-Lawanson