Motorola in $75m network project

By Vanessa Haarhoff for Motorola

Johannesburg, 17 Jan 2007

Motorola's $75 million GSM network expansion contract with Nigerian mobile communications operator M-tel is fully under way, says Raphael Udeogu, Motorola Nigeria country manager.

"The project is on schedule," he says. Motorola has been selected to source and install a turnkey expansion for the GSM telecommunications project around Benin, Ikorodu and Yola, he notes.

"The contract was awarded to Motorola in 2006 after a competitive contract tender," says Udeogu. Motorola has been involved with M-tel since 2003 when it implemented the original M-tel network expansion.

"Previous work done with the company helped secure the contract as well," he notes.

Upgrading and expanding the network will help increase M-tel's network base considerably, he adds.

Udeogu says that because of the Nigerian government's progressive outlook towards telecoms, the implementation of ICT on the ground is becoming increasingly easier than five years ago.

Motorola expects substantial growth potential within the Nigerian market. In 1999, there were 500 000 fixed-line customers and today there are over 20 million mobile customers, according to a company press release.

The expansion project is in line with the Motorola Reach GSM portfolio's aim to enable telecoms operators to connect the next billion mobile subscribers by 2010, through the rapid and cost-effective deployment of mobile services.