Determined to maintain high quality of service on its network, Etisalat Nigeria, fifth Global Systems for Mobile Communications in Nigeria says it has budgeted N30.6 billion for network expansion. Steve Evans, chief executive officer, Etisalat Nigeria made this disclosure at the official unveiling of Etisalat Master Brand Essence Campaign in Lagos.
Evans also disclosed that Etisalat currently has over 12 million telecoms subscribers on its network. According to him, the company intends to roll out additional 1,000 base transceiver stations (BTS) to further expand its network coverage in Nigeria. As at December 2011, he noted that Etisalat had succeeded in rolling out 3,000 base stations across the country.
The company which commenced operation in Nigeria three years ago said it is targeting additional 1,000 base stations by December this year to improve quality of services on its network.
He said the 1,000 BTS target by the end of 2012 will bring the total number of base stations so far built by Etisalat in the country to 4,000, adding that in terms of coverage and improved quality of services, “the network’s growing subscribers are in for a better deal from the telecoms company.”
He explained that in building the cell sites, Etisalat had partnered with many companies to undertake various aspects of the project.
He said: “The cell site project is a big civil engineering machine that we have put in place and we have also partnered with companies helping us to put the concrete on the site, helping us to build the towers, putting the telecoms equipment on those towers, connecting the towers, testing them and optimising them.”
Though Evans noted that it takes up to nine months to complete full work on a base station, his company would meet the additional 1, 000 base stations target given the robust machinery it has put in place to get the project delivered on schedule.
Source:businessdayonline.com