Airtel Confesses… “Africell Have Upgraded Network Than Us”

The telecommunication is one of the fastest growing industries in Sierra Leone. The battle for leading the market is one of the main goals of all Mobile companies in the country. Some mobile companies saw the challenge as very tough and they are left with no option but to pullout of the race whiles others endure it.

The latest mobile company that has sold their brand is Airtel Sierra Leone. The company claimed from its headquarters in India that they are not making profit in Sierra Leone, contrary to the claims made by their country office in Freetown.

As Airtel is packing their bags to the leave the shore of Sierra Leone for orange to stepping, the company has no option but to confess to this medium that africell one of their competitor have an upgraded network than them.

This Press was speaking to one of Airtel Technical Staff identify himself as Musa and June Rose at the company’s Headquarters in Freetown.

They were responding to questions posed to them by this Press in relation to their network that have weak or no signal at the Sierra Leone-Guinea boarders.

Musa said if two competitors of the same country sign an agreement with another mobile company in another country for roaming, the one with strong signal will get those subscribers as they visit the country.

“Africell access customers first when they enter Sierra Leone because they have a strong signaling strength than us. Africell have an upgraded network than us.”

He went on to say while africell network has upgraded, Airtel still stay where they are.

“…While africell has upgraded making their signaling strength more powerful, we have not upgrading yet. 

He said Airtel roaming to Guinea is not working currently, according to him they blocked it due to alleged illegal deal that cost a huge lost to the company.

“We have to ratify the current issue before we open it. It is a signaling strength, which means Guinea is now upgrading their network.”

Musa described it as a big blow to them as they are losing huge revenue.

June Rose said if subscribers don’t come up with complains they would not have known. She said mobile phones are larching on with stronger signal and the one that is available.

“This is a technology, the advantage we have now it has become easier for us to merge the system as Orange is now in Sierra Leone.”

Airtel has being suffering from network problem over the years. They have been fined for poor network in the country.

This is not the first time this mobile company has been sold, on the 1 August 2008 Celtel Sierra Leone sold to Zain. On 8, June 2010 the company was purchased by Bharti Airtel from Zain. On 22 November 2010, it was rebranded as 'Airtel'.  20 July 2016 Orange, Sonatel finalize Airtel Sierra Leone takeover. TeleGeography.

Africell, a subsidiary of the Lebanon-based Lintel Group of Companies, is considered to be one of the fastest-growing telecommunications companies on the continent by analysts. Africell is a holding company with cellular communications companies in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, The Gambia, Uganda and Sierra Leone. The company which was founded by ZiadDalloul in 2000, setup its operations in Africa in 2001. It has gone on to become a market leader in Sierra Leone and The Gambia with over 60% share of active subscribers and over 7 million subscribers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In November 2014, the company acquired the under-performing operations of French telecom giant Orange in Uganda and thus taking on a subscriber base of more than 1,000,000. This led to a 700% increment in their active subscription to 11 million over a five-year period and expects to end the year 2015 and 2016 with more than 12 million and 15 million subscribers respectively.

Africell launched its operation in The Gambia in 2001 with a mission of making telecommunication accessible to every Gambian at the most affordable rates. By the end of 2014, it had acquired 1.3 million active subscribers.

Africell expanded its 2G, 3G and 3G++ operations to Sierra Leone in 2005. In 2009, Africell completed the acquisition of Tigo following final regulatory approval. The acquisition and ensuing merger of the two entities further consolidated the company’s leading market share of 65% of the total GSM telephone mkt in Sierra Leone.

Africell Sierra Leone has achieved the first position in terms of market share in a record time and facing multinational operators such as Indian telecom giant Bharti Airtel.The secret recipe behind this success was a strategy of aggressive marketing and network roll-out. Aside from the growth in the subscriber base, Africell Sierra Leone major success was in winning the hearts and minds of the people in a record time and to become an inherent part of the Sierra Leonean society thought a very active social agenda. Africell Sierra Leone has won the following awards: 2008 and 2009: AWOL (All Works Of Life) 2011: "Telecom Company of the Year".