GLO GETS LICENCE TO OPERATE (Centre Spread)

17/07/08
Story: Mary Mensah
GLOBACOM (Glo) Telecommunication network, was yesterday granted a licence by the National Communications Authority (NCA) to commence its operations.
The company thus becomes the sixth GSM licensed operator in the country.
Globacom signed the licence agreement with the NCA at a ceremony in Accra and shortly after that its Chief Operating Officer (COO), Mr M. A. Jameel, told journalists that the company would begin full operations by the end of the year.
He said the company would leverage its expertise in top notch technology to deliver superior service on the Ghanaian market and projected two million customers by the end of its first year of operations, which is expected to generate more than 3000 jobs.
The COO was full of praise for the Ghanaian authorities for granting the company the licence, adding that “this is a moment of truth, satisfaction and achievement”.
He said the company, which had a history of innovative products and services, hoped to deploy high-level technology and innovative products and services to the Ghanaian public.
The COO stated that the company presently had about 19 million subscribers in Nigeria and had over 300,000 subscribers in Benin after only a few months of operation in that country.
He said the company hoped to increase its subscriber base in Nigeria to 35 million and a million subscribers in Benin in its first year of operation next year.
Mr Jameel said the story about GLO started in Nigeria about five years ago and aimed at building one of Africa’s best and biggest networks.
He said the journey had been smooth, moving from Nigeria to Benin and currently to Ghana, where they intend to revolutionise the market.
The COO announced that GLOBACOM had begun the construction of an under sea cable from the United Kingdom to Ghana to improve the communications system in the country.
He expressed his appreciation to the government, NCA and the people of Ghana for the opportunity and re-affirmed the company’s commitment to serve the people better with a world-class network.
The NCA on June 12, 2008, declared Glo Mobile winner of the international bid for the mobile cellular licence in Ghana.
The licence followed over one-and-a-half months of global bidding for the sixth GSM licence in Ghana and the company had only recently flagged off services in Benin.
According to NCA, Glo Mobile was the preferred bidder because of the superiority of its technical presentation, pedigree and extensive rollout plan for Ghana.
Glo Mobile also emerged tops in the commercial bid, leading to its eventual announcement as the winner of the sixth GSM licence in Ghana.
Glo Mobile’s management is chaired by Dr Mike Adenuga Jr.