Glo: Committed to Network Infrastructure Expansion @ 22

Since its commercial rollout with per second billing system in August 2003, and having clocked 22 years in telecoms service delivery, Glo, the third entrant into Nigeria’s GSM market has continued to invest billions of dollars in network infrastructure, writes Emma Okonji
 
Globacom’s 22 years in Nigeria’s telecommunications industry has been one of the most strategic statements in Nigeria’s investment story. It is a story of how a Nigerian company walked where foreign companies fear to tread. It is a story of a Nigerian company committing billions of dollars on investment in a money-guzzling sector.
Since its launch in 2003, Globacom has been a significant player in Nigeria’s telecommunications sector, driven by massive investments in technology. The company’s strategy has been to challenge the status quo and introduce innovations that have shaped the market.

Per Second Billing

One of Globacom’s most impactful early moves was the introduction of per-second billing in 2003, a first in the Nigerian telecommunications market. At a time when other networks charged per-minute, the investment in a new billing system directly benefited customers and forced competitors to adapt. This was followed by the launch of 2.5G internet service in 2004, offering data services at a time when other Nigerian telcos had not yet recognized the full potential of mobile data.

A landmark investment came in 2011 with the launch of the Glo-1 submarine cable, the first individually owned submarine cable system on the continent. Globacom’s investment in the Glo 1 submarine cable system represents a significant and strategic move to enhance telecommunications infrastructure and provide improved connectivity in Nigeria and across West Africa.
The Glo 1 cable system was a massive investment, with almost $1 billion initial investment from Globacom alone. This distinguishes it from many other cable systems in the region that are owned by a consortium of companies. This full ownership gives Globacom complete control over the cable’s operations and capacity.

This 9,800-kilometre fiber-optic cable connects Nigeria to the United Kingdom and is a major piece of infrastructure that significantly increased internet bandwidth availability in the country. The Glo-1 cable is credited with helping to crash the cost of internet services and providing the backbone for more affordable and faster data access for Nigerians.
The cable’s initial capacity was designed for a minimum of 640 Gbit/s, which has since been upgraded to 2.5 Tbit/s to ensure the availability of faster internet bandwidth to customers.

Glo 1 Investment

The investment in Glo 1 was aimed at providing a high-capacity fiber-optic link, leading to faster, more reliable, and more affordable internet and telecommunications services. It has enabled clearer calls, faster data speeds, and a better overall user experience for Globacom subscribers.
Glo 1 has proven to be a resilient and reliable piece of infrastructure. During instances of fiber cuts that affected other submarine cables in West Africa, Glo 1’s durability and robust construction helped Globacom maintain uninterrupted services for its customers, ensuring they could continue their operations seamlessly.

The availability of high-speed, reliable internet has had a significant impact on a nation’s economy. The Glo 1 cable facilitates foreign investment, supports businesses, and enables services like e-commerce, teleconferencing, and telemedicine.

Globacom has consistently invested in its mobile network infrastructure, ensuring the deployment of top-of-the-range technology for the benefit of Nigerians. The company was the first in Nigeria to deploy 3G, 3.5G and the 4G LTE networks, which it initially launched in several cities in 2016. This was a crucial step in providing high-speed mobile broadband to subscribers.

Network Expansion

It continues to invest in network expansion, with recent announcement of major upgrades to its infrastructure. This includes deploying new 4G LTE sites, extending fiber optic coverage to more locations, and even relocating fiber cables damaged by ongoing road constructions.
In addition to its core network, Globacom has explored other technological avenues, such as offering cloud storage services to its customers. These services, like Glo Cloud, provide a way for users to back up and access their files, photos, and documents securely, further integrating the company’s services into the digital lives of its subscribers.

To take care of present needs and future demands, the company is also completing the deployment of several hundreds of new sites across Nigeria. That aside, the network has this year alone deployed thousands of 4G LTE sites across key cities and locations across the country, while 150 new ones are being deployed currently to scale up the number.

To complement this, there has also been a massive upgrade of the backhaul capacity in terms of microwave and fiber, as well as a well-planned improvement in the core network, which is going on seamlessly.

The ongoing efforts, according to Globacom, will lead to enhanced service delivery, superior network quality, and expanded coverage. Additionally, customers can expect faster data speeds and improved overall network performance.

Globacom targets to add over a thousand new sites over the next one year, with a focus on adding more LTE sites to the existing ones to deepen its reliable data reach. It is also focused on extending fiber to many of its hub sites for greater reliability to provide a more robust delivery of service.

The company is also focused on minimizing carbon emission in its operation with an increasing expansion of hybrid power, relying more on battery power than the use of generators across its sites nationwide. This comes at a great investment cost too.

Through these strategic and continuous investments in network infrastructure and customer-centric technologies, Globacom has positioned itself as a major force on the Nigerian telecommunications landscape, consistently driving innovation and shaping the future of connectivity in the country.

Globacom, in the last two decades and more, has pioneered several ‘firsts’ in the Nigerian telecoms market, including being the first to launch per-second billing, crashing SIM card and call costs, and being the first to introduce 2.5G GPRS and 4G/LTE technology nationwide. The Glo 1 submarine cable, connecting Nigeria to the UK, also became the first for Globacom on the continent.

Globacom was also the first to introduce advanced services like Blackberry, Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS), and mobile banking to the Nigerian market.