MTN Seamless Roaming debuts in West Africa

MTN launched Seamless Roaming on a pilot basis in Cameroon, Nigeria, Benin and Ghana.

MTN launched Seamless Roaming on a pilot basis in Cameroon, Nigeria, Benin and Ghana.

West Africa just got smaller. Literally. MTN, a leading telecommunications company in Africa has just launched a new service named MTN Seamless Roaming on a pilot basis. Though this name (MTN Seamless Roaming) is less funky than their usual product brands, it is in my view, the best value added service they ever launched. The announcement about this new service was made by MTN Ghana on 6th November 2008.

Hitherto, one had to pay through the nose to roam in West Africa. One paid to make and receive calls. Receiving text messages was free-of-charge, but sending text messages was impossible. With MTN Seamless Roaming however, one can receive calls for free, send text messages, make calls at local rates and recharge airtime using local recharge cards when roaming on any MTN network (4 countries presently) outside one’s home network.

MTN would later extend this service to their other networks in Africa and the Middle East. The MTN Group currently has operations in 21 countries: Botswana, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeria, Republic of Congo (Congo-Brazzaville), Rwanda, South Africa, Swaziland, Uganda, Zambia, Iran, Afghanistan, Benin, Cyprus, Ghana, Guinea Bissau, Guinea Republic, Liberia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.

I knew MTN would implement this service, ever since Zain (then known as Celtel) launched the world’s first borderless network aptly named “One Network”, in 2007. Zain currently has operations in 22 countries and roaming across their networks is seamless, for users in any of the countries they operate.

Well, though I know competition push MTN to this, I can still commend them for the courage it took to abolish the roaming fees. It is only sad that crossing West African border countries by road is still so very difficult but businesses like MTN, Ecobank, Zain are playing their part with the Ecowas dream.

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Oluniyi David Ajao

Oluniyi David Ajao is an Internet entrepreneur with strong interests in web design & hosting, mobile communications technologies, and blogging. He is also a photography enthusiast and enjoys tech-related websites, magazines & TV/Radio shows. His personal website at www.davidajao.com serves as the central point of his personal web activities.

17 responses to “MTN Seamless Roaming debuts in West Africa”

  1. Dave

    It’s MTN we’re talking about here. My personal experience with this company is that they value financial profit far above customer satisfaction. I just hope we start benefiting from this service soon. I wonder, will the MTN Zone discounts also apply to Roaming calls? That would be swell :grin:

  2. Francis

    The MTN Seamless Roaming is really helpful most especially with the assurance that you can make calls at your local rate and receive calls at no cost. But MTN still need to work on their roaming service if they expect more customers to patronize them especially with their bad record of exploitation…
    I’m currently on MTN roaming in Ghana from Nigeria, although I still have problems receiving and making calls nevertheless I have been receiving SMS.
    When my friend asked me to activate the service I did not know that the service is now available for all. And interestingly between Nigeria and Ghana I was online and at the entry of each country I received text messages welcoming me and even providing details such as the local time of these country including the Nigeria High Commission’s number in Ghana!
    It is a good servi

  3. George A. Otchere

    i want to reserve the zain number 026-2233444

  4. YAKUBU BRAIMAH

    I would like you you reserve me my 0244 606760 as my zain number please.
    thank you

  5. King's Crown

    I sent messages via the 0803 network,but no 1 delivers after they take their pay…..thats not enough,i recharged with N200 but i could only talk for 7mins to the same 0803……i think da 0803 network has now decided to scam 9gerians….this is terrible:evil:……..the most annoying thing is that u’ll call their customer care 4 the whole day and u will never get response……..0803 should be a network 4 animals and not humans

  6. King's Crown

    I sent messages via the 0803 network,but no 1 delivers after they take their pay….thats not enough,i recharged with N200 but i could only talk for 7mins to the same 0803……i think da 0803 network has now decided to scam 9gerians….this is terrible:….the most annoying thing is that u’ll call their customer care 4 the whole day and u will never get response……0803 should be a network 4 animals and not humans

  7. Davis

    I love MTN – Davis

  8. Anthony

    How i activate roaming mtn to mtn for free?

  9. prince tokunbo

    please how can i use my ghana number in nigeria ?…..

  10. prince tokunbo

    Good, thanks for that reply ..am in nigeria now….

  11. AZUKA

    pls since four days now we cant load mtn card to ghana line in nigeria, if you load any denomination instead of increasing,it will depreciat to a lower rate, can i please know the problem and solution to it

  12. Tony

    It is a good thing but i want to know in details how i can buy an mtn chip and roam my line immiediatley i get to the country where i want to use it?for instance if i have to go to Ghana and i leave in Nigeria but i decide to buy a sim and get to ghana before activating it ,will the seamless work that way? tmonelro Nigeria

  13. lil carlzy

    HELLO
    HOW I CAN NOT MAKE CALLS WITH MY ROAMING MTN CHIP WITH NUMBER +4915151395785 IN GHANAN HERE SINCE I RETURN GERMAN..
    I ALWAYS NOTICED CALL FAILED PLEASE TELL SOMETHING AND HELP…

  14. chibuzor

    please how do i rome my number with code +44

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