Smile, one of Nigeria’s 4GLTE broadband service providers, affected by the recent downtime and disruption of internet service caused by the cuts in submarine cable, has been able to successfully resolve the issues with the swift intervention of MainOne and Globacom cable partners.
The company which has restored full service, commended both MainOne and Globacom for “the relentless support both firms offered to Smile to aid the quick delivery of additional capacity required during the recent WACS submarine fibre cut,” in a press statement.
Expressing his delight, Ahmad Farroukh, the group CEO of Smile Communications, said; “there was huge demand for IP capacity from other operators in Nigeria during the unfortunate incident. We at Smile appreciate the commitment shown by MainOne and Globacom to make quick alternative arrangements with multiple upstream providers to accommodate the Smile telecommunications network.”
“We should take learnings from the recent WACS and SAT3 cable cuts that resulted in the disruption of internet services in the country,” he said.
In his applause to Ali Isa Pantami, the minister of communications and digital economy, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and in achieving the National Broadband Committee objectives, Ahmad Farroukh pleaded that the minister and the regulatory agency should facilitate an environment where all Nigerian and Non-Nigerian cable providers will have active redundancy on each other so that consumers will not be impacted negatively in case of similar occurrence in the future.
For example, if submarine cable X was subject to a cut, other cables existing in Nigeria should be able to carry on the lost capacity without negatively impacting the end users.
Smile, renowned for the primacy of its customer’s service, said it regretted any inconvenience caused by the slight disruption in its service rendition in some areas and assured all its stakeholders that their best interest remains upmost in all its consideration.
Smile, launched the first 4G LTE network in West Africa in Nigeria in 2014 revolutionising the way people access the internet. The company was the first to launch VoLTE on its network and has continued with its innovation, having introduced SmileVoice, which is a free mobile app that enables customers with any Android or Apple iPhone device (including those which are not VoLTE-enabled) to make clear voice calls over Smile’s 4G LTE network. It was also the first to introduce an unlimited offering, which enables what it calls SuperFast data and SuperClear voice, all on one bundle.
Jumoke Akiyode-Lawanson
