Paul Ikechukwu
As the Second National Operator (SNO) after defunct NITEL (now ntel), Glo started operations on August 29, 2003. The company of course, has every reason to be celebrated, even though it started operations two years after other networks were in the market.
Riding through the challenging terrain of the telecom market, Glo has distinguished itself as a network of note a little over a decade of its operation in the country. As the fourth entrant into the field, Globacom started operations when other networks, MTN, Econet (now Airtel) and defunct Mtel were already having a field day on the desperate subscribers.
Indeed, Nigeria was at the crossroads when Globacom showed up on the scene two years after GSM operations began. The events that characterised telecoms terrain then were rough and rocky for the subscribers and the potential subscribers; tariffs were prohibitive.
The Per Second Billing (PSB) which is one of the strategies used to hit big into the market has become a reference point of the network’s sincerity to its promised vision of providing affordable telecommunications services after other operators argued that was not feasible until 2007
In the same vein, Globacom’s launch of N1 SIM card served as a relief for millions of people who were yearning to talk and be talked to through telephone. The lowering of the price of SIM card automatically gave those who were left out of the communication circle telephone ownership.
Speaking with BH, a Glo subscriber in Sagamu area of Ogun State, Mrs. Folashade Ajayi, said the telecom company has benefitted all Nigerian subscribers.
According to her, “I wonder how many people would have been using mobile phones now if Glo did not come on board. The amount a SIM card was going for in those days was out of the reach of many Nigerians before Glo started its N1 SIM sale. Because of the step Glo took then, other networks started to adjust. For any network anybody may be enjoying today, Glo played a significant role in it availability and affordability.”
The success story of Glo may not sound distinctly without attribution to Nigeria’s multi-billionaire investor and Chairman of Globacom, Dr. Mike Adenuga Jr. (GCON).
His unmatched push to record the telecom brand on the annals of telecom industry came to the limelight this year as he was enrolled into the’Telecoms Hall of Fame for Telecoms Development’ as a Platinum member.
Dr. Adenuga received the honour as his high-flying brand, Globacom, equally bagged the award of the Telecoms Mobile Operator of the Year by the Nigerian Telecoms Awards 2016.
On his part, Mr. Paul Moses, a businessman in Shomolu, Lagos State, lauded the telecom giant for the years of its operation in the country.
“Glo has come to stay. I learnt that its subscribers are growing speedily. I guess the network’s bonuses and promos are attracting more people. With all I have seen the service provider doing since it started operation, it may be number one in Nigeria if they are serious,” he said.
This year, Globacom emerged the preferred network in voice services in Nigeria as it got 68% of all new GSM subscriptions in the last 12 months.
Statistics published by Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), on its website showed that a total 7,477,977 new lines were added between June 2015 and June 2016. Out of this figure, Globacom cornered a staggering 5,063,895 new subscribers, representing 68%, while Airtel came a distant second with 2,414,082 new subscribers.
Conversely, Etisalat and MTN recorded abysmal losses, according to the NCC statistics with 382,336 and 4,403,344 depletion of their customer bases respectively in the last one year.
For Mr. Deolu Ogunbanjo, the National Association of Telecommunications Subscriber’ President, “Glo has lived up to expectations of Nigeria and Nigerians. I think without this network, the telecom penetration and record we have today would not be possible. Beyond that, Glo has shown the strong and determined spirit of Nigerians. Looking at the time it came on board, one would have thought it would not be able to compete with other players. But the network is competing favourably with other operators today. The report of Mobile Number Portability ((MNP) which put Glo on the positive level and the recent statistics released by NCC attests to Glo fast-rising profile in the industry.”
Currently as the grandmasters of data, Globacom recently started offering its customers enhanced benefits on data.
Globacom’s rising market share in voice in the industry is in tandem with its status as the emerging leader in the data segment where it has for the last one year been atop new internet subscriber acquisitions.
The telecom giant’s unparalleled growth even in the midst of shrinking economy has been touted as the result of its huge network upgrade embarked on recently added to its avowed commitment to highly innovative products and services in the market.
The service provider has not only fulfilled its vision of making telecommunications accessible and affordable, it has influenced and revolutionized the entire industry for the benefit of those on its network and on other networks.
Not resting on its oars, the network has continued to offer unique and innovative services to its over 36 million subscribers in Nigeria.
Glo has become a household name. Not only because of the voice and data services it offers, but also the empowerment of many Nigerians through direct and indirect employment.
Glo not only crashed the cost of mobile calls right from inception, but it has also brought down the cost of bandwidth and international calls with its Glo-1 submarine cable.
The network’s services have long extended beyond Nigeria. Already, Glo has rolled out its operational services in some West African countries. On June 5, 2008, it registered its presence first in the Republic of Benin and later in Ghana. It also has operational licences in Togo, Cote D’Ivoire, Senegal and Gambia.
Commending the efforts of Glo, a Computer Scientist in Ikorodu, Lagos, Mr. Funso Daniel, said Glo revolutionised the telecom industry.
“What all Nigerians should do is to appreciate the effort Glo made in making its network’s services available for us. Beyond that, we need to also celebrate with this telecom giant and its Chairman Mike Adenuga for forcing other networks to give their best,” he remarked.
The company’s Glo-1 which cost $800 million high capacity fibre optic cable, which cost $800 million was single-handedly built by Glo. This singular huge investment indicates Glo’s commitment to Nigeria and its resolve to provide its subscribers the highest quality service both data and voice services.
With all the success story of the telecommunications operator in the last 13 years, some industry analysts are of the view that Glo has unlimited potentials to be the top leader in the area of subscriber base among others within few years from now.
However, they cautioned that the glowing effect of Glo may go dim unless it continues relentlessly to lead as it has been doing in recent times with innovative and affordable offers.