Firm to Deepen Internet Penetration in Northern Nigeria

Oluchi Chibuzor

The Chief Executive Officer, Pi Sairtel, a broadband service provider, Mr. Salvation Alibor, has said the firm has concluded plan to distribute free satellite installation kits in the northern states of the country.

According to the company the move was to aid access to the internet for those living and operating their business in the area.

Disclosing this to journalists in Lagos, recently, Alibor explained that the initiative was part of their business social campaign to ensure that every individual across the country reach out to the world around them.

Alibor, also debunked the information that Mobile Network Operators (MNO) were set to withdraw their services to people from the northern part of the country owing to the current insecurity challenges within the region.

“The World Bank says that access to broad bands would provide at least 10 per cent growth in GDP. And I believe that if we can extend it to the farthest end of this country, we can break poverty.

“The market that they cannot have in their locality, they would have on the internet.

“The internet for Nigerians has been an issue. I believe that the internet is the level playing field for Africans. It grants us the privilege to compete with other parts of the world on the same plain. The internet grants entrance for development,” he said.

On the sustainability of the product, Alibor said as a satellite based service firm, unlimited internet broadband was possible to its clients as well as with affordability to those that buy their products.

“Our focus primarily is to provide unlimited internet broadband that is truly unlimited because a lot of competitors brand themselves as providing unlimited service. But they use Fair Access Policy (FAP) on customers that restrict the use after a period,” he added.

Speaking further on the impact of the kits and why people must leverage on the opportunity to gain access to the internet, he acknowledged that internet services within the region have been unstable.

“Mobile Network Operators (MNO) have been providing epileptic services so it is difficult to buy services in those areas. But people live there, Businesses are operating there, people’s homes are in those places and we have offered service there to people.

“There are persons who currently are using KA band solutions there and their service provider is pulling out because of the insecurity situation and they can no longer provide service to those people. We want to tell them that we are willing to provide service to them.

“We have equipment and kits from another KA service provider. They can get activated with us. All they have to do is to contact us and we would switch them over. If they do not have our kind of kit, we would give them for free.so the idea is to ensure that people have access to the internet.”