…Promise To Surpass Existing MNOs
Nigerian telecommunications consumers expects to get respite in service and cost as new entrant and Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO), Vitel Wireless says it will launch its services this quarter (Q2).
The new player has promised to challenge the dominance of the country’s four major operators. Integrators, Wireless Technology Labs (WTL) has announced the completion of Vitel’s network infrastructure and international roaming capabilities, paving the way for the launch.
Vitel Wireless, headquartered in Lagos and licensed by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) in 2023, plans to initially launch its services in major Nigerian cities, followed by a nationwide expansion. Vitel aims to offer competitive pricing on standard voice, SMS, and data services, while also focusing on value-added services such as location-based services (LBS) and IoT.
To facilitate customer access, Vitel is establishing Experience Centres in key cities like Lagos, Abuja, and Kano, and building a distribution network for SIM cards through retail channels and online eSIM subscriptions.
WTL has successfully integrated Vitel’s infrastructure with a major Mobile Network Operator (MNO) and implemented international roaming using its advanced core systems, ensuring Vitel’s readiness for launch upon NCC approval.
Vitel’s CEO, Kenneth Nwabueze, emphasised the company’s commitment to offering innovative solutions beyond existing market offerings. WTL’s CEO, Satya Mekala, commended the NCC for fostering competition and expanding digital service adoption through new MVNO licenses, and expressed enthusiasm for supporting Vitel’s groundbreaking entry into the Nigerian market. WTL has also been working with Nigeria’s first Mobile Virtual Network Enabler (MVNE) to help other MVNOs.
WTL has already enabled the networks of two of the 46 new MVNOs licensed by the NCC, and recently announced that it is working with Nigeria’s first Mobile Virtual Network Enabler (MVNE) which is constructing new mobile network infrastructure to provide capacity for emerging MVNOs through its Platform as a Service (PaaS) model.
Mr. Satya Mekala, CEO of WTL, said, “I congratulate The NCC for licensing new operators to improve competitiveness, increase rural coverage and drive the adoption of digital services including Fintech, Edtech, Agriculture, IOT and more. I further thank Vitel for giving us the opportunity to showcase our advanced core technologies and wish them great success in becoming the first ever MVNO in Nigeria”.
In its drive to create an enabling environment, the Commission had introduced Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs) License that was geared at generating employment and bridging the gap between the unserved and the Underserved. It was also meant to further engender competition and provide choices for telecommunication consumers.
The NCC called for licence bid on August 11, 2022, and in the first half of 2023 licences were issued to the 46 operators.
The MVNO license is a Five (5) Tier classification that has distinctive services to be offered by the players in different tiers as listed below:
- Tier 1 is a Virtual Operator
- Tier 2 is a Simple Facilities Operator
- Tier 3 is a Core Facilities Operator
- Tier 4 is a Virtual Aggregator/ Enabler
- Tier 5 is the Unified Virtual Operator
The NCC emphasised that the licencing was part the regulatory interventions of the Commission to bridge the then remaining 97 access across the country to provide ubiquitous connectivity in all the nooks and crannies of Nigeria.
