JOHANNESBURG, South Africa-Nigerian mobile and fixed-line operator Globacom said it estimates its GSM network will cover 74 cities across the country within six months of launch.
A Globacom spokesman said the rapid pace of the network equipment arrival in Lagos onboard Boeing 747 cargo carriers is an indication of the company’s drive to achieve the maximum coverage in the shortest possible time.
“This is a confirmation of the promise by the telecommunications giant that the shipment of US$1 billion worth of equipment will arrive regularly at three- to four-week intervals,” the spokesman said.
The recent cargo was made up of base stations and switch equipment that will be simultaneously installed in four cities across the country and a further 70 cities in less than six months.
The spokesman added: “We will roll out the network simultaneously in four cities-Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt and Ibadan. In six months, we would have covered 74 cities across the country with at least 1.5 million subscriber capacity.”
The company added that more than 300 Alcatel staff had arrived in Nigeria in an effort to assist in the implementation of the network.
Dr. Mike Adenuga, chairman of Globacom, has promised Nigerians a more affordable and efficient telecommunications service.
