ZAMBIA: The country's largest mobile communication providerZain Zambia subscriber base hits three million
Record ID:
575146
ZAMBIA: The country's largest mobile communication providerZain Zambia subscriber base hits three million
- Title: ZAMBIA: The country's largest mobile communication providerZain Zambia subscriber base hits three million
- Date: 21st December 2009
- Summary: LUSAKA, ZAMBIA (DECEMBER 17, 2009) (REUTERS) LUSAKA STREET SCENES PEOPLE WALKING WOMAN TALKING ON MOBILE PHONE MAN WALKING PAST A ZAIN STALL TALKING ON MOBILE PHONE MAN LOOKING AT HIS MOBILE PHONE WALK BY WOMAN WALKING AND TALKING ON MOBILE PHONE BILLBOARD READING "ZAIN HOUSE" / ZAIN BUILDINGS PEOPLE AT ZAIN OFFICE RECEPTION VARIOUS OF EMPLOYEES IN CALL CENTRE ZAIN ZAMBIA CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, DAVID HOLLIDAY SHAKING HANDS WITH CALL CENTRE EMPLOYEE HOLLIDAY TALKING TO EMPLOYEE HOLLIDAY LOOKING AT COMPUTER SCREEN IN HIS OFFICE BLACK BERRY ON HOLLIDAY'S TABLE (SOUNDBITE) (English) ZAIN ZAMBIA CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, DAVID HOLLIDAY, SAYING: "In November we connected our three millionth customer.Now this is a landmark not only for Zain but also for Zambia as well. I think the stories I have heard that when the analysts were looking originally years and years ago about the potential penetration in Zambia the number of about 40,000 mobile phones was discussed - so, of course, this has boomed beyond anybody's expectations." VARIOUS OF HI-TECH EQUIPMENT INSTALLATIONS (SOUNDBITE) (English) ZAIN ZAMBIA CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, DAVID HOLLIDAY, SAYING: "We are connecting up to the east coast of Africa to the fibre cables to make sure that we are fully able to exploit our data gateway, our international data-gate way and make ourselves ready for national voice data-gate way when it is granted to the industry in Zambia by the government, and so what this will mean is that in looking to forward to 2010 and 2011, we are preparing a ground work for data and for voice taking it to the next kind of quality." MAN TALKING ON MOBILE PHONE VEHICLES ON STREET VEHICLE DRIVING ON STREET NEAR ZAIN ZAMBIA BILLBOARD
- Embargoed: 5th January 2010 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Zambia
- Country: Zambia
- Topics: Communications,Economic News
- Reuters ID: LVA1DF18F1MTITSM7AMKDLCTD3EQ
- Story Text: Zambia's largest mobile communication provider, Zain attracts a record three million subscribers in 2009 after pumping 50 million U.S. dollars into its network.
Zambia's largest mobile communication provider, Zain increased its subscriber base by about 11 percent to three million in 2009 after investing over 50 million US dollars in its network, the company said on Thursday (December 17).
Zain Zambia Chief Executive Officer David Holliday said the number of subscriptions to its Zain's services far exceeded original predictions.
"In November we connected our three millionth customer.Now this is a landmark not only for Zain but also for Zambia as well. I think the stories I have heard that when the analysts were looking originally years and years ago about the potential penetration in Zambia the number of about 40,000 mobile phones was discussed - so, of course, this has boomed beyond anybody's expectations," Holliday told Reuters.
Zain Zambia plans to spend more on upgrading existing equipment and new technology in 2010 and improving its mobile internet service provision across Zambia.
Holliday said Zain intended to invest tens of millions of dollars to get linked to the optic fibre cable on the east coast of Africa, so that the company could fully able to exploit the voice and data gateway.
He added the Kuwait-based group had also applied to the Zambian government for a licence to introduce third generation technology, which has a provision for video link for mobile phone users, and hoped that would be granted in 2010.
"We are connecting up to the east coast of Africa to the fibre cables to make sure that we are fully able to exploit our data gateway, our international data-gate way and make ourselves ready for national voice data gateway when it is granted to the industry in Zambia by the government, and so what this will mean is that in looking to forward to 2010 and 2011, we are preparing a groundwork for data and for voice taking it to the next kind of quality," said Holliday.
Zain Zambia, which rivals Cell-Z, a subsidiary of state-owned Zamtel and MTN Zambia, a unit of Africa's biggest listed telecom firm, MTN of South Africa, has spent 500 million US dollars on improving its network since its inception in 1998. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None