MTN Ghana returns to Google free Gmail SMS service

Ghanaian users of Google’s free email service Gmail, who logged into their accounts on the morning of November 10, 2010 were greeted by a message alerting them to the service’s free SMS product. And among the mobile phone networks they could send free text messages to include MTN Ghana, Tigo and Zain. Kasapa was excluded, even though it was part of the service when it was launched.

Vodafone Ghana has never been part of the project, but the country’s biggest mobile phone service provider MTN was on the deal in the beginning but pulled out.

Mrs. Mawuena Trebarh, Head of Corporate Services at MTN told ghanabusinessnews.com in April 2010 that MTN Ghana had suspended the service due to technical problems.

A source close to Google however told ghanabusinessnews.com that Google and MTN were in some discussions, and confirmed that MTN Ghana had pulled out of the system at that time.

Meanwhile, sources familiar with the development had told ghanabusinessnews.com that MTN pulled out because they were losing revenue.

Now MTN is back onto the system and Gmail users in Ghana can send at least 50 free text messages to their friends.

The Gmail, is a free web-based email service provided by the world’s leading Internet search engine Google. Google added and activated the free SMS feature to the service for users in Ghana on Thursday March 11, 2010.
By Emmanuel K. Dogbevi