Nigeria’s Glo launches in Ghana

Nigerian-owned telecommunication giant Glo Mobile launched its services in Ghana on 29 April, becoming the sixth mobile provider to operate in the country after MTN, Vodafone, Tigo, Airtel and Expresso.

Since it secured its operating license from Ghana in 2008, the company has failed repeatedly to begin its service, resulting in it being fined $200,000 by industry regulator, the National Communications Authority (NCA), for missing its latest rollout deadline on 20 April.

Some 1.5 million subscribers reserved their 023-3 numbers after Glo's "Reserve Your Number" campaign began in January, and these numbers are active from 30 April. The company has also launched a 023-5 number.

Currently Glo covers about 85 per cent of land mass in Ghana and has plans to install a further 1,400 base stations by the end of 2012. This would give it a total of 2,300 base stations, giving it the largest network coverage in Ghana.

Glo claims that is has invested some $750 million in installing network equipment, establishing 25 world call centres nationwide and hiring some 600 staff.

Glo is the title sponsor of Ghana’s premier football league and the senior national football team, the Black Stars.