Globacom, Huawei sign $750m network expansion deal

Following the take-off the Mobile Number Portability (MNP), Nigeria’s telecommunications outfit, Globacom Nigeria Limited has expressed its desire to retain millions of subscribers on its network, while attracting new ones

The company made this known on Thursday in Lagos, at the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)on network expansion with Chinese telecoms infrastructure provider, Huawei.

The $750 million (N117 billion) pact is to upgrade Glo Base Transceiver Stations (BTS), Data Centres, back-haul infrastructure, and others critical to its operations.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, the company’s Chief Operating Officer, Muhammed Jameel, said over the past two months, Globacom had been shopping for a vendor to help modernise its network, and that Huawei emerged preferred vendor of choice.
“As we mark our 10 years of operation in Nigeria, we have decided to concentrate on upgrading our network with the latest technology, which can provide a bullish network that can provide better services to our customers,” he said.
The MoU will see Globacom embarking on a total overhaul of its network to enable it provide better services to its over 25 million telecoms subscribers.
Jameel said every element of the network, ranging from BTS, MSC and transmission infrastructures, among others, will enjoy total modernization to provide world-class services its growing subscriber base.
“In the contract, New BTS, new microwave radio facilities, BSC will be upgraded to a latest one. It will also include back-hauling of the total network with a view to delivering a total network with most modern equipment.”
“We would have had everything upgraded to latest technology. We’re upgrading the transport network from 10gigabytes to 100 gigabytes.”
He described Huawei as a competent and respectable telecoms infrastructures provider capable of delivering the contract assignment, stressing that “the $750 million contract will translate into upgrading of all the network elements and covers the cost from the time the project will start till the time it will be commissioned.”

Vice President, Huawei West Africa, David Fan, expressed “great honour to sign the contract. The two companies are similar. Glo is from Nigeria, which is an emerging market in Africa, while Huwaei is also from an emerging market in China.”
“We are, therefore, pleased to receive the contract and by the time we finish the network upgrading, we would have also made Globacom network ready for Long Term Evolution technology network. All they need to do is to obtain the licence to provide services on the 4G network.”
He said the upgrade will be planned in such a way that it does not cause any form of disruptions on the network.
Meanwhile, the Director, Legal, Globacom, Mrs. Gladys Talabi, reiterated that the contract is part of plans to offer subscribers with unlimited possibilities in all they do as they go about their daily activities.
The telecoms industry in Nigeria, on Monday signed on to Mobile Number Portability (MNP), meant to ensure that operators provide bespoke products and services to subscribers, who now have the choice of moving to competing networks when dissatisfied with their present service provider.