Telcos Operating In Difficult Environment-ALTON
Smile Konnect Innovative–ATCON
By Aaron Ukodie
Leading data and broadband Services Company, Smile Communications Nigeria Limited, today in Lagos unveiled its revolutionary Smile Konnect device that enables local and international data roaming super-fast, much cheaper and easier.
Chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecom Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) Engr Gbenga Adebayo and president of Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), Mr Teniola Olusola witnessed the launch.
While Adebayo noted that telecommunication companies in Nigeria are operating in a difficult environment, Olusola said the Smile device was nevertheless an innovative product.
It is the first of such services, which would no doubt reduce cost of data usage by more than 50 per cent, for the over 2.5 million Nigerians who travel to 85 countries yearly. You to download
The Smile Konnect which was unveiled to a select number of journalists has an LTE connectivity, connects up to five devices and removes the hassle of changing SIMs and provides video streaming and calls at high quality.
The device which costs N64, 000 comes with 50GB of local data, one gigabyte of international roaming and a 100 per cent bonus data on recharge.
The device allows you download the Konnect App to recharge with Smile roaming plans when abroad and provides unlimited on-net calls and 10 minutes local calls with the Smile voice. You also get a 100 per cent on every local data recharge for three months when you recharge with 30 days Anytime data plan.
Managing Director of Smile, Mr Godfrey Efeurhobo said at the unveiling of the device, that the company has always set the tone for the expansion of the broadband frontier. He noted that while other companies have rightly claimed that broadband is life; is oxygen, he asked “what is life and oxygen if it is not quality?”
According to him the company has always looked for innovative ways of improving the customers’ experience.
Chief Marketing Officer of Smile, Mr Abdul Hafeez said the international data usage for Nigerian travelers have been very expensive and cumbersome, considering the time it takes to get a local SIM and rates that are charged to the local GSM SIM operator of the country you have travelled to. According to him the Smile Konnect data roaming device and plan would reduce cost of roaming for Nigerians travelling abroad very considerably.
He said where customers usually spend about $55 dollars for a one gigabyte data plan, while abroad, they would now have to spend just $8.3 dollars for one gigabyte per day, $19.44 for one gigabyte which would be valid for seven days. Two gigabytes valid for 14 days would cost subscribers $33.34, while a 30 days plan for five gigabytes cost only $55.55.
Hafeez said the device allows you to recharge and manage your device with ease and payment is through its Paypal routed through its Hong Kong international roaming connectivity partner.
“The payment would go through our international partner in Hong Kong who has an arrangement with Paypal; when you call our agents they would help you with the arrangements”, he said.
The Smile Konnect can now be used in 85 countries including United States, United Kingdom, United Arab Emirate, South Africa, China, among others. Fifteen more countries would be added to the list in due course, Hafeez said.
According to Adebayo, it takes extra diligence and hard work for any operator to overcome the Nigerian environment and come out with a novel technological services such as SmileKonnect.
He said when ALTON started there were 32 companies on its membership but the harsh operating environment has led to the fold up of half leaving only 16 to weather the environment as access to operating fund is difficult.
Adebayo calls on the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to come out with the result of their study on data flop so that Nigerians would know the minimum –acceptable rate for data usage in Nigeria.
He also call on the need for the country to come out with a clear 5G plan, as 5G is already here and also a plan to help operators such as Smile sustain and grow their business by removing obstacles to ease of doing business in the telecom sector such as multiple taxation and making right of way easier.
Categorising telecom operators into tier 1, tier 11 and tier 111 does not make any sense as all operate under the same economic environment and face the same operating challenges.
