Telcos plan big for 2013

Evans, CEO, Etisalat Nigeria

Some of the leading telecommunications companies in Nigeria who revealed their plans for 2013 are looking forward to being on top of the game, as huge funds would be pumped into the telecom business for the year.

While MTN Nigeria plans to invest $1.3 billion, about N205.14 billion, Etisalat Nigeria would put in $400 million, about N62.8 billion and Starcomms eyes a return on investment worth N15.78b by 2017.

Goschan, CEO, MTN Nigeria

The MTN’s $1.3 billion investment, DigitalSENSE Business News gathered would be used for service upgrade to enable the over 45 million users of the network experience a hitch-free communications henceforth with an improved quality of services.

DigitalSENSE Business News recalled that MTN Nigeria has been conducting a service upgrade over the past few months and that the new proposed investment will significantly lead to improvement in the current network capacity of the provider.

Claims by the company insisted that the investment would also cater for the base stations, making them more environmentally-friendly through the installation of hybrid alternative energy solutions.

In the same vein, the acclaimed fastest growing telco, Etisalat would be adding $400 million, about N62.8 billion to its investment base for network expansion.

The investments, according to the company’s CEO, Steve Evans will target 2G and 3G networks in both rural and urban centres, and extending services to the unserved communities of the country.

Starcomms CEO

With the objective of having 20 million active subscribers by the end of 2013 with its 3,500 Base Transceiver Station (BTS), Evans said Etisalat would invest more on infrastructure upgrade.

Meanwhile, one of the Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) in the nation, Starcomms targets a return of $100 million, about N15.78 billion by 2017 as Capcom plans to acquire a major stake in the telco.

Starcomms expressed hope over the acquisition, and the merger movement of MTS and Multilinks with Starcomms, and targets 2 million subscribers through its data services by 2017.

The American investor, Capcom would be investing the sum of $210 million, about N 32.99 billion in Starcomms on signing the acquisition deal after the shareholders and management board of Starcomms must have make a decision at the annual general meeting scheduled for December 28.

Yinka Awosanya/LS
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