Skip to main content

Data prices won’t change – MTN


Ghana’s leading telecom operator MTN Ghana is assuring its subscribers that the cost of data and other services won’t change when it launches its 4G services.

With the introduction of a much improved and faster data service for Ghanaians, the company, which has the largest market share of telecom subscribers, says the current data rates will still apply.

MTN got its 4G 800MHz FDD spectrum license in December last year and promised a commercial launchof the spectrum in six months.

MTN bought the 2x10MHz spectrum with the 800MHz for US$67.5million and finished paying in January this year. The company has so far earmarked an additional US$18million to specifically deploy the service across the country.

Allaying fears of subscribers that they may pay more for the 4G LTE service, Ruben Opata, Head of Planning at MTN Ghana explained to Myjoyonline.com that nothing will change.

“Whatever you are paying today on MTN will not change. If today I do a download and I pay X cedis, if I do the same download on LTE I will pay X cedis, nothing changes,” he assured.

Mr Opata stressed that, “Whatever service you have today, be it SMS, be it voice calls, be it data, the amount that we charge you on MTN today will still be the same amount on 4G LTE, nothing changes.”

He noted that rather, subscribers “will do a lot more on LTE. Today if it takes me one hour to download a movie, I’m going to use less than three minutes to download the same movie on LTE. What it means is that I’ve got 57 minutes available that I’m not using now.”

The Head of Planning at MTN Ghana opined that 4G LTE has huge advantages to the subscribers over 3G. In some cases, 3G runs at 2,000kmps while 4G will go at 100,000kmps. This means faster internet speed and download.

4G LTE also provides room for content on demand and in light of that, MTN is embarking on a campaign to provide rich content on demand for subscribers.

“Recently there was a group of people that was awarded for app development for MTN. 4G brings innovative services and in that regard the innovation hub that we have within MTN comes out with products and services which are rich in content,” Mr Opata said.

MTN Ghana has so far deployed 4G cell sites and other infrastructure in at least four regions ahead of the commercial launch in June this year.

The telecoms giant has deployed 27 4G cell sites in Greater Accra, 23 in Kumasi, eight in Sekondi/Takoradi, nine in the mines area (Tarkwa and Obuasi), and one each in Koforidua and the Ashesi University.

Subscribes will be invited for a sim swap to enjoy the 4G service, the Head of Planning at MTN Ghana revealed.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Vodafone sells 45% shares in Verizon for US$130 billion

Vodafone has sold its 45% stake in Verizon Wireless to US telecoms group Verizon Communications in one of the biggest deals in corporate history. The US$130 billion (£84bn) deal was announced by Vodafone after the close of trading on the London Stock Exchange. The company will return £54 billion to its shareholders, of which £22 billionn will go to shareholders in the UK. Vodafone will also invest money in its business, with funds earmarked for high speed mobile phone networks. It said that by 2017 its main five European markets would have almost complete 4G coverage. Possibly it would be wrong to carp and wring hands that Vodafone won't be paying a penny of tax to the British taxman” Vodafone group chairman Gerard Kleisterlee said: "The transaction will position Vodafone strongly to pursue our leadership strategy in mobile and unified communication services for consumers and enterprises, both in our developed markets and across our emerging markets businesses." The...

Shortage of weighing cards hit major hospitals in Accra

By: Fred Yaw Sarpong- Daily Express There is scarcity of Child Health Records Book (weighing cards), in some major public hospitals in the capital, information reaching the Daily Express indicates. Checks by this paper revealed that while some of the hospitals have being encountering the shortage for about a year now, others started experiencing it six months ago. In place of the Child Health Record Book (weighing card), the nursing mothers are given a single card on which information of children are recorded on it. Those hospitals identified are the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Korle Bu Polyclinic, Kaneshie Polyclinic, Adabraka Polyclinic and the Ridge Hospital. At the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, the nursing mothers are given yellow cards in place of the weighing cards. The Public Relations Secretariat at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital said such information has not come to their notice and for that matter they cannot comment on it. “We do not have some ...

ABL launches chibuku super in Bolgatanga

By: Fred Yaw Sarpong sarpong007@gmail.com Accra Brewery Limited (ABL) has officially launched the Chibuku Super drink at Bolgatanga in the Upper East region with the aim of reaching a lot of customers. Mr. Thomas Nii Ponku, Supervisor in charge of Chibuku Super at ABL told Daily Express that the management decided to launch the Chibuku Super drink in the Upper East region because they’ve realized it is similar to a traditional drink in the region. “Chibuku is like a well developed pito, a traditional drink made from fermented millet or sorghum in the Northern part of Ghana. So the idea is to provide them with similar drink,” he added. Mr. Nii Ponku disclosed this when members of the Institute of Finance and Economic Journalists (IFEJ) toured the facility of ABL to acquaint themselves with the expansion project at the factory. He mentioned that after a feasibility study, they realized there is a potential market for the product in the northern part of Ghana ...