Mobitel Returns 5 Years after Joseph’s Death

A $5million contract with VocaTel of Israel is expected to breathe life into Mobitel Nigeria limited, one of Nigeria’s first private providers of telecommunications services which slipped into coma with the sudden death in September 2005 of Charles Alaba Joseph, its former president/CEO, Nigeria CommunicationsWeek can now reveal.
The contract is for the first phase of deployment in two major cities, as part of a larger network development plan and return to the market by Mobitel acquired last year by Omni Ventures Limited, a Lagos-based ICT services company
It will be an amazing turnaround story for a company that has since been forgotten despite playing a prominent role in the burgeoning telecommunications revolution in the country.
Nigeria CommunicationsWeek gathered that at the core of the deployment is VocalTec’s Essentra suite of softswitch products, which offer a wide range of IP-based subscriber features over Mobitel’s WiMAX access infrastructure.
Though Mobitel still offers fixed and wireless voice, data and value-added services to a handful of small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) and high-end consumers, the new deal will enable additional applications, including IP-to-PSTN interworking and IP-to-IP interconnection services to larger number of subscribers.
VocalTec will be the prime contractor for the project, and will also support Mobitel’s deployment of Data, IP Core and Billing infrastructures
Mobitel maintains nationwide frequency spectrum allocations and a set of licenses that can be converted into a unified access service license.
Powered by leading-edge WiMAX technology and a rigorously engineered network enabling the delivery of high-quality, cost-effective solutions, Mobitel can also provides a tailored service offering through an innovative sales-channel and customer-care strategy.
Nigeria CommunicationsWeek gathered that with WiMAX, Mobitel will be able to consolidate its core network under IP and in doing so offers cost advantages, the ability to offer multiple services over a single platform, reductions in operating and capital expenditures, rapid application development and a competitive edge
Johnson Salako, executive chairman, Mobitel said that "We are confident in VocalTec's vast VoIP experience and expertise in the deployment and management of large scale VoIP networks. Their many years of experience with this technology and their commitment to the VoIP industry made them the natural choice as the provider of our core network infrastructure. We look forward to a long lasting partnership with VocalTec as we work towards becoming a significant provider of voice, data and other value added services in Nigeria."
VocalTec, being the key partner responsible for the delivery of this comprehensive turnkey network solution, leads a consortium of leading technology companies. This eco-system of technology partners together offer a fully integrated, highly interoperable network solution, fully addressing Mobitel’s service requirements, while adhering to Mobitel’s business considerations and needs.
Nigeria CommunicationsWeek gathered that the turnaround of the company will invoke the memories of late Joseph who worked and died for the telecom industry.
Joseph was especially committed exciting the market and entrenched the platform that today encourages healthy interaction and sharing of ideas among decision makers