MTN says to invest $96m in upgrading infrastructure
Ghana’s leading telecommunication company, MTN Ghana, has said it would invest $96 million in upgrading its information technology systems and networks this year.
Mrs. Cynthia Lumor, the Corporate Services Executive of MTN, said it would spend $62 million in traditional network, $18 million in rolling out the Long-Term Evolution (LTE) 4G network and $16 million in Information Technology network.
Mrs. Lumor announced this at an Editors’ forum at Takoradi, in the Western Region, to update them on the Company’s services and strategic focus.
The telecommunication giant, she said, was committed to building vital infrastructure to support the provision of essential services to its mobile subscribers across the country.
She said the Company’s continuous growth in mobile subscription was as a result of the introduction of innovative services and the quest to meet its customers’ needs, explaining that, the Company spent $67.5 million dollars to secure the 4G spectrum from the National Communication Authority (NCA).
Mrs. Lumor announced that the Company paid a total of GH¢675.6 million in taxes to the government and $26.1 million to the National Communication Authority (NCA) for incoming international calls, last year.
However, she said, MTN made a profit of GH¢2.3 billion, representing 15 percent of its total revenues.
She said currently, the Company had 16.2 million mobile subscribers, out of the national total subscription of 35 million, because its solution-oriented approach.
On the Company’s challenges, she said, it was still grappling with battery theft at its cell sites across the country with 80 thefts reported as of December last year, while fibre cuts and SIM box fraud remained high.
This development, according to her, had not only affected the Company’s finances, but also impeded the delivery of uninterrupted services to its valued customers.
She noted that technology was a driver of efficiency and productivity that enhanced the quality of lives and improved socio-economic development; therefore, the 4G network would ensure that Ghanaian gained immeasurable benefits in the fast growing data revolution.
“Not too long ago, mobile phone subscribers in Ghana could only access voice conversations and messaging,” she said. “However, with the mobile revolution, subscribers have a wide variety of access, including sending and receiving documents, audios and photos, downloading and uploading music, streaming and watching videos, video conferences, online games, distance learning, buying and selling items and other essential services.”
The 4G network is the latest advanced data communication technology, which offers download and upload speeds faster than the 3G.
Using 4G also means that users can download large email attachments or other contents from the Internet faster.
Source: GNA