Oluniyi D. Ajao » Ghana

Airtel Ghana upgrades network for faster broadband

Oluniyi D. Ajao — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 21:36:17 +0000

Airtel, Ghana’s second national operator announced an upgrade of its cellular network to a newer/faster mobile broadband technology called 3.75G earlier this week. 3.75G, otherwise known as HSPA+, is the latest iteration of the 3G mobile broadband technology.

The launch makes Airtel the pioneer of 3.75G in Ghana, and the fastest mobile broadband service in Ghana presently. Airtel is promising a maximum theoretical download speed of 21Mbps. Its other (GSM) competitors MTN, Tigo and Vodafone currently run HSDPA cellular networks offering download speeds ranging between 7.2Mbps and 14.4Mbps.

I am yet to experience Airtel’s 21Mbps promise. A screenshot of my best speed test result using a Samsung Galaxy S II smartphone is below:

Airtel Ghana speedtest

It is possible that many of their cell sites are not upgraded to 3.75G yet.

It is noteworthy that Airtel launched a 3.5G network from their début. Their arch-rival MTN upgraded to 3.5G soon after and an aggressive broadband competition soon followed. Also, I am inclined to believe the timing of Airtel’s 3.75G launch is to preëmpt Glo Mobile’s launch. Glo Mobile launches in less than a month from now and one would expect Glo to launch with the very latest mobile broadband technology follow their many promises to offer a world-class network from day 1.

Glo Mobile soft launches in Ghana

Oluniyi D. Ajao — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 20:02:45 +0000

After several false starts, Glo Mobile Ghana appears to have taken its most remarkable step yet, towards a commercial launch. The cellular network obtained its operating licence since 2008 but had failed to launch its service to the public, citing logistical difficulties. Its last false start was 17th November 2011. A much-publicized commercial launch slated for that date was postponed at the last minute.

glo

Today 19th January 2012 was another publicized date but again, Glo Mobile did not fail to disappoint. Instead of launching its network and opening for business, Glo Mobile only opened-up its number reservation system to the public promising to launch “between 2 and 4 weeks“.

Mr George Andah, Chief Operation Officer of Glo Mobile Ghana told Ghana News Agency:

“Glo Ghana had deployed the state-of-the-art infrastructure to give premium service, including the latest broadband technology, Next Generation Networks, over 1,600 Base Transceiver Stations, four ultra modern switches with capacity for up to 10 million lines with congestions free service.

This, he said, would be complemented by Glo-1, the high capacity state-of-the-art submarine cable connecting West Africa to Europe and a dedicated extension to the United States.”

How to reserve your number on Glo Mobile

The network code for the new cellular network is 023. Glo Mobile is making about 1 million telephone numbers in the series 023-3xx-xxxx available for reservation at this time. Some 4,000 numbers in this series are excluded from the regular reservation. The 4,000 vanity numbers would be available at a premium price of 100 or 200 Ghana cedis.

To reserve your Glo Mobile number, simply text the number you want reserved to 023 001 0100. Example: if you want to reserve 023-333-9999, text 0233339999 to 0230010100 from your current phone. The reservation system would respond within minutes with the results. Where the reservation was successful, a reference code would be included in the confirmation text message. You would need this reference code to claim your Glo Mobile number when the network goes commercial. Each person is limited to a maximum of 5 reservations.

I was able to reserve a phone number by sending the text message from an MTN number. My attempt using Airtel failed as the SMS was not delivered.

In the meantime, enjoy this Glo Mobile video ad:

TEDxDzorwulu to be held in Accra, Ghana

Oluniyi D. Ajao — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 01:42:53 +0000

TEDxDzorwulu comes-up in Accra Ghana this Saturday 10th December 2011. Find the full press release from the organizers, below:

On Saturday, December 10, 2010, from 8:00AM – 5PM GMT, the inaugural TEDxDzorwulu conference will be held at the African Regent Hotel in Accra Ghana on the theme: Think, Create and Innovate.

TEDxDzorwulu will focus on innovation that has taken us beyond traditional thinking and is producing budding Entrepreneurs from across Ghana whose inventions and ideas are becoming income generating ventures and also providing solutions for today’s modern societal problems.

TEDxDzorwulu 2011

TEDxDzorwulu speaker line up will feature five forward thinking Ghanaians from different disciplines. Wanlov the Kubolor, Fred Deegbe, Sheila Bartels-Sam, Kinna Likimani and a surprise speaker, who will be announced on the day.

The event hopes to bring together innovators, explorers, bloggers, technologists, academics and entrepreneurs who embraces and encourages collaboration, conversation and interaction. Our aim is also to create a network of doers & achievers who are ready to break through their own borders that have limited them from been able to Think, Create and Innovate.

TEDxDzorwulu will be a carefully curated event of a 100 of your smartest and most curious young innovators/entrepreneurs, CEO’s, Managers and Idealist. This is an opportunity to explore new ideas, get inspired by visionary thinkers, and gain exposure to new concepts, an afternoon of intellectual adventure.

ABOUT TEDx

In the spirit of “ideas worth spreading,” TED has created TEDx. TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. Our event is called TEDxDzorwulu where x = independently organized TED event. At TEDxDzorwulu, TEDTalks video and live speakers will combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events, including ours, are self-organized.

Fly540: the budget airline for African destinations?

Oluniyi D. Ajao — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 05:25:40 +0000

Too many people in Africa happen to fall within the low-income bracket. Thus, one would expect budget airlines to be commonplace on this continent, catering for the masses. This is not so. Budget airlines are rather common in high-income countries of Western Europe, North America, India and many Asian countries.

The relatively few airlines that ply major African cities do so at rather exorbitant fares. As of 21 Nov 2011 7:30am GMT:

a return flight (19 to 26 Dec 2011) from Accra (Ghana) to Abidjan (Cote d’Ivoire) costs $538 on Emirates or $567 on ASky Airline (an Ethiopian Airline subsidiary). The distance is only 259 miles and the flight duration only 1 hour.

Compare this to a return flight on the same dates from London Stansted Airport (UK) to Dublin (Ireland) for a fare of only $78 on Ryanair (a budget airline) or $173 on Aer Lingus. The duration of this flight is 1hr 10 mins.

The very low fare offered by the Irish budget airline, RyanAir, demonstrates how low air fare can go when the market conditions are right.

A low-cost carrier or low-cost airline (also known as a no-frills, discount or budget carrier or airline) is an airline that offers generally low fares in exchange for eliminating many traditional passenger services. (Wikipedia). There are very few of them in Africa with most catering for domestic destinations within their respective national boundaries only. They are:

Egypt: Air Arabia Egypt
Kenya: Fly540
Nigeria: Aero Contractors
Morocco: Jet4You, Air Arabia Maroc
South Africa: Kulula, 1Time, Mango, Velvet Sky
Tunisia: Karthago Airlines

A change in the status quo?
Fly540 seems ready to position itself as a pan-African budget airline. As of now, Fly540 already flies to about 20 destinations in these East African countries: Burundi, Kenya, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda.

In 2008, the airline opened-up its pan-African ambitions in a report by Ugandan newspaper, The Monitor:

“…we will open up Kigali and then head to West Africa. Ghana will be the hub for West African region. In Southern Africa, we shall use Angola as our hub, so it will become a pan African low cost airline”.

I didn’t give much weight to their lofty dream until I saw a Fly540-branded jet take-off on the runway of Kotoka International Airport in Accra Ghana on 18th November 2011. While Fly540 Ghana has not commenced revenue flights as of now, they plan to do so by the end of 2011 and have already taken delivery of aircraft, recruited staff and obtained the necessary licences.

Senegal and Equatorial Guinea are among the first destinationsto be serviced by Fly540 Ghana.

Fly540

MNP in Ghana: over 6,000 mobile subscribers ported so far

Oluniyi D. Ajao — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 21:25:13 +0000

Mobile Number Portability (MNP) launched in Ghana on 7th July 2011, enabling mobile subscribers to move from one mobile network to another, whilst still retaining their full mobile number. It has generated some buzz in the Ghana’s mobile communications sector with all the mobile providers offering mouth-watering incentives to woo subscribers from other networks whilst keeping their existing subscribers.

As of this morning (18th July 2011), over 6,000 subscribers had ported from one mobile network to another, with most of them being hassle-free, according to the statistics released by the industry regulator National Communications Authority (NCA). Clearly, Ghana had learnt from previous implementations of MNP in other countries around the world, and had carefully planned the MNP system to be very successful by avoiding all potential pitfalls. Whilst, it has not been 100% perfect, the mobile operators are cooperating with the NCA to quickly resolve the problems as they come, with some operators going ahead to open a special desk to handle MNP issues.

There are 5 active mobile networks in Ghana: MTN, Tigo, Vodafone, Airtel and Expresso while the licensed Glo Mobile is yet to begin operations.

Find the full press release below:

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MOBILE NUMBER PORTABILITY – THE FIRST TEN DAYS

The National Communications Authority (NCA) is pleased to announce that as of Saturday night, July 16, at the end of the tenth full day of Mobile Number Portability (MNP) in Ghana, 5,631 subscribers had successfully moved from one mobile service provider to another while retaining their mobile number. By Monday morning, the number had surpassed 6,000.

NCA’s analysis of the data for these first ten days shows that of the porting requests completed:

12% were completed in 15 minutes or less
22% were completed in 30 minutes or less
36% were completed in 1 hour or less
72% were completed in 4 hours or less
14% completed between 4 and 12 hours
13% completed between 12 and 24 hours
Less than 1% were completed in more than 24 hours

The fastest port recorded so far in Ghana took place in a mere 1 minute, 31 seconds. The average porting time for the first ten days was 4 hours, 17 minutes.

This performance compares very favorably with recent MNP implementations in other countries, where porting a mobile number can take up to seven days. Even in Europe, porting can take considerably longer than it does in Ghana, and the EU is only now moving toward the 24 hour maximum that applied in Ghana from launch.

Ghana also stands out by another measure: thanks to the collaborative and concerted effort by all involved, Mobile Number Portability moved from decision to launch in just 17 months. Ghana is also among the very few countries which have launched the service in the month first promised.

Ghana mobile phone subscribers are reminded that when they sign the porting request form and send the validation text message, they are moving their number from their current mobile service provider to a new one. They are closing their account at the old network, and when the porting is completed, they will no longer be using the old SIM. It appears that in some cases, the customer did not clearly understand this, and believed they were receiving an additional number. We therefore wish to summarize again the steps taken in the porting process:

If you wish to leave or quit your current mobile service provider but keep the same phone number, you should go to a shop or agent for the service provider you wish to join, bringing your photo ID and your phone.
You will be asked to sign the porting request form, your ID information will be recorded, and you will be asked to send a free text message to validate the request.
As soon as the agent or shop has submitted your request via computer and you have sent the validation text message, you will receive a text message. “Your porting request is being processed. Thank you.”
If the request was not submitted by computer or the validation text message you sent was not received, then two days later you will receive a text message, “Your porting request could not be submitted.” In this case, you should contact the service provider you intended to join to learn what has gone wrong with the process.
If for any of the few permitted reasons your current service provider declines to approve your request, you will receive a text message, “Your porting request was not approved. Please contact your new operator for details.” You should contact the network you intended to join.
If all goes well, in less than 24 hours you should receive a text message, “Your number is being ported now. Please switch to the chip or service from your new operator.” However, if you do not receive that message and your current SIM stops working, it is possible that the porting request has been completed, but you did not receive the text message. In that case, you should try your new SIM to see if it can now make and receive calls.
Any problems or inquiries during or after the porting process should be directed at the service provider you joined or attempted to join.

NCA is pleased with the public response to MNP so far, and we are diligently monitoring the process to ensure that rules are followed and that the process is serving the public interest as intended. In the future, we intend to release general statistics on a monthly basis.

Members of Facebook are invited to join our group page, “MNP Ghana”, to learn more and join the discussion.

DIRECTOR GENERAL

NCA-GHANA

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A spotlight on the Esoko platform and apps

Oluniyi D. Ajao — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 03:15:44 +0000

This is the 3rd and final part in a series of posts related to Esoko.

Esoko: The Platform

Esoko is an agricultural market information platform. It takes advantage of the explosive growth of mobile communication services in Africa. Managed on the web and delivered via mobile, individuals, agri-business, government and projects use Esoko to collect and send out market data using simple text messaging. The Esoko platform provides automatic and personalized price alerts, buy and sell offers, bulk SMS messaging, stock counts and SMS polling.

API team with partners from Nigeria & Sudan

The platform is currently available in 4 languages: English, French, Portuguese and Arabic.

Some of the apps, that serve as nodes of the Esoko platform, are explained below, as featured during the recent Esoko Tech Showcase:

1. Scout

This is a polling app that sends poll messages and returns specific answers from respondents. It runs via the ubiquitous SMS and also offers reports based on the polls. The app is based on SMS since most of the respondents would be farmers, or rural users. SMS is easier to handle for this demography. Esoko is working on an Android version that will take some concepts from the web app. The new version would also take advantage of GPS technology.

Explaining Networks & Contacts to partners from Ghana & Madagascar

2. Bulk Uploads via Excel

Considering Esoko is a service-oriented platform with a web interfacing for collecting data, it makes sense to have a means of uploading data in bulk. The Bulk Uploads via Excel feature is a recent improvement on Esoko’s web interface that enables users to upload bulk data stored in an Excel spreadsheet. This was developed based on feedback from Esoko users who had hitherto had to enter data manually in a time-consuming process.

3. Esoko Helpline

This is an interactive voice response system – an automated system for users to gather information from computerized recordings. The template for this system is flexible and can be applied to varying businesses within the confines of what’s reasonable. While the system is currently available in English and Twi for Ghana, work is in progress to introduce Hausa and other languages. Human agents would be available on the IVR during business hours but the IVR itself is available 24 hours everyday. The system is not released to the public yet and is expected to come with memorable and/or toll-free phone numbers.

Ghanaian mobile operators woo customers to port to their network, via the web

Oluniyi D. Ajao — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 08:00:46 +0000

Following the launch of Mobile Number Portability (MNP) in Ghana on 7th July 2011, the mobile networks all launched campaigns geared towards enticing mobile subscribers to port to their network. Newspaper ads, radio jingles and TV ads have taken the lead but since the internet is slowing going mainstream in Ghana, the leading mobile networks have taken their marketing the internet, as well. I am highlighting the web campaigns below:

Airtel

Airtel has the most extent web campaign, dedicating a full website named ‘move2airtel‘ to its MNP marketing effort.

The homepage lists 12 reasons why a mobile subscriber should port to the Airtel network. Another page explains the move2airtel process and even offers a PDF version of the migration form that a prospective customer can download, print, fill and take along with a valid ID to the nearest Airtel shop or retailer outlet.

A screenshot of move2airtel website

Airtel also embeds a forum power by Facebook into the website, sharing updates from move2airtel and encouraging the fans to interact with them.

The media page on the move2airtel website shares materials from Airtel’s radio, print and TV ads. The FAA page lists some 12 Frequently Asked Questions related to MNP and how prospective customers can move to Airtel.

Vodafone

Vodafone has taken its locomotive-themed ‘ALL ABOARD’ campaign to their website www.vodafone.com.gh You can’t miss the loud banner on their homepage. A click on the banner takes one to a webpage detailing 10 Reasons to Join Vodafone.

Vodafone Ghana website

A special page explains MNP in clear detail and specifies the steps for a prospective customer to move from any Ghanaian mobile network to Vodafone.

MTN

MTN has a webpage delivering its value proposition, explaining mobile number portability and how prospective customers can migrate to MTN.

A screenshot of MTN Ghana's MNP webpage

One has to find the MNP page under the “Help” drop-down. A prominent link that existed on MTN’s homepage has been removed.

Neither Tigo nor Expresso Telecom offer any information about MNP on their respective websites.

Esoko Ltd: Powering an agric revolution

Oluniyi D. Ajao — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 07:00:32 +0000

This is the 2nd part in a series of posts focused on Esoko.

While many web/software development entities in Africa focus on fancy applications (apps) that have little meaningful impact on their society, a fast-growing software company headquartered in Accra is focused on improving some agricultural processes through creating software for collecting, analysing and sharing data related to agriculture. Esoko Ltd is championing an unusual mix in Africa: agriculture and sophisticated data processing.

The word “Esoko” is derived from the Swahili word “soko” which means “market”. In essence, Esoko is an Electronic Marketplace for exchanging data. Esoko serves as the name of the company as well as the name of the software platform they develop.

Esoko: The Company

Esoko grew from a simple SMS-based service and has evolved into a leading software company that is developing useful apps for clients across Africa with its employee-base of 60 people (as of June 2011).

Happy Esokoninis

Esoko was founded in 2005 as TradeNet by Mark Davies, who also founded BusyInternet years ago. TradeNet was rebranded as Esoko in April 2009 and its investors are: Jim Forster, the International Finance Corporation, and the Soros Economic Development Fund.

While Esoko is a privately-held limited liability company that hopes to start making profit in the near future, many of its partners are not-for-profit organisations. Others are agribusinesses, individuals and agric-related projects.

The potential impact of Esoko can be imagined when one considers that agriculture is Ghana’s most important economic sector, employing more than half the population on a formal and informal basis and accounting for almost half of GDP and export earnings. The same trends are found in most African countries, south of the Sahara.

According to Sarah Bartlett (Head of Communications & Research): though Esoko’s apps are generally focused on agriculture, they are applicable to other related uses and there has been an instance of Esoko’s platform being deployed for data distribution in a Ghanaian health project.

Currently, Esoko is active in 15 countries through different partnership agreements; both public sector agricultural projects and Esoko country franchises. The 15 African countries are: Burkina Faso, Burundi, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.

Product Manager Osei-Poku explaining the Product Cycle

The recent 3rd Annual Partners’ Conference was well attended by Esoko’s Partners (clients) from various agricultural institutes in Africa. Esoko explained some of its software development processes to its partners, and received feedback from them that would hopefully go towards improving their platform.

Whilst explaining a point during the Tech Showcase at the Conference, Mark Davies said: Esoko is “very different from where it started and will continue to change.” He added that “Esoko organizes the annual conferences to explain their schedule and process to partners and to get ideas and wish lists from them”.

To put Esoko’s future into perspective, I asked Mark Davies:

“Esoko has evolved from a basic SMS platform offering information to a multi-channel platform that gathers and shares data about agriculture in Africa via the web, mobile apps and SMS. Where do you see Esoko in 5 years’ time in terms of growth pattern and product offering?”

Mark Davies responded:

“I’d like to see Esoko as a ubiquitous enabler for commerce and trade throughout Africa, merging information with usable technology — with some fantastic case studies about how information can empower people in the rural/informal sector to make better choices and increase incomes…”

MTN Ghana introduces data packages to prepaid customers

Oluniyi D. Ajao — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 19:31:33 +0000

MTN Ghana recently introduced data packages for its prepaid mobile broadband subscribers.

Hitherto, Ghana’s biggest telecommunications company had been offering mobile broadband to its prepaid subscribers without data packages. Subscribers enjoyed a data tariff based on the amount of airtime they loaded to their special data SIMs. Also, MTN subscribers with a normal SIM could enjoy very low tariff rates without needing to subscribe to any data packages.

I got the following text message from MTN Ghana, earlier today:

“Y’ello, enjoy amazing low charges on MTN internet. Dial *138# now and buy internet bundles for as low as GHc 0.03 per mb.”

It appears MTN failed to sufficiently communicate the new packages to its mobile broadband subscribers, early enough. Users have lost their airtime because they simply loaded airtime and continued browsing as usual, without actually subscribing to any data packages. Thus they were billed at the very high tariffs that MTN now charges outside the packages.

MTN Ghana's new data packages

MTN had launched 4 data packages and later added 2 more, offering further flexibility:

”MTN has added two new data bundles to the Bundles Package in response to customers’ calls and requests. With the new bundle introduced, you can activate 60 MB for GH 2.00 and 150MB data for GH 5.00 all valid for 15 days.Dial *138# to select a data bundle that suits your needs. MTN data tariffs remain the lowest in the market, so hurry and subscribe to the bundle package that suits your pocket.”

A community page has appeared on the social network website Facebook with the sole purpose of pressuring MTN. The page is named: “MTN your new internet charges are too much aba do something about it”. I am unable to quote the comments as they tend to be too acidic for this blog.

With the new package scheme, MTN gets to keep the subscription fees whether the customer used the broadband or not unlike the previous scheme where customers were billed only when they actually used the broadband service.

The rebirth of Ghana’s .gh domain name system

Oluniyi D. Ajao — Sun, 03 Jul 2011 21:20:48 +0000

.gh is the country code Top-Level Domain name (cc-TLD) for the Republic of Ghana.

Introduced in 1995, it is currently managed by a private company in Accra Ghana. This company sponsored the .gh domain with ICANN (the international body for managing domains) and currently serves as the registry and registrar, simultaneously.

Although .gh is intended for use by entities in Ghana, it is poorly patronized due to poor awareness on the part of the populace, high pricing of domain registration and the avoidable bureaucracy on the part of the current registry.

A snapshot of .gh registry's website. It has not been updated for 5 years.

.gh has gone through years of difficulties and all domain management is currently done manually by the registry. It doesn’t help that a .com.gh goes for at least $42.66 from the .gh registry while one can register a .com for as low as $12.

To be fair, most other African domains have been in this poor state at various stages in the past but many have since reformed and are currently growing at blazing speed. These are a few examples of the African country domain systems that are currently world-class: .ke (Kenya), .tz (Tanzania), .cm (Cameroon), .ng (Nigeria), .mu (Mauritius), .na (Namibia), .za (South Africa), .so (Somalia) etc.

.za (South Africa) is peculiar because although it is semi-automated, it is currently the largest domain system in Africa by far, with well over 500,000 domains registered. No other African country domain comes close.

.so (Somalia) is even more peculiar because the country is essentially a failed state, yet it has a world-class domain registry – never mind that the .so registry managed by a private Japanese company on behalf of the government of Somalia. At least, the domain system is fully automated. I was able to register a .so domain for a client a few weeks ago with a few clicks of the mouse.

.GH Domain Reform

The good news is that the .gh domain system is currently under-going a reform. In August 2010, the Government of Ghana set-up an organization named National Information Technology Agency (NITA) whose mandate includes setting-up a new .gh domain name registry.

I was privileged to attend the 5th Annual African ccTLD Event in April 2011 here in Accra, where a NITA member shared the progress and time-line of the .gh domain reform. He concluded by hinting that the new .gh system would go live before the end of 2011.

It is safe to assume that the new .gh domain registry would be a world-class & fully automated registry that would accredit independent .gh domain registrars. With the right policies, .gh can still regain lost grounds in Ghana’s internet arena.

It is estimated that there are close to 3 million Internet users in Ghana. Ghana is home to the first Internet Service Provider in West Africa and has a population of over 24 million people.