Communication & Media
Globacom boasts 10m line capacity network in 3 months
By Vanguard
Jun 24, 2004, 20:15

LAGOS - FOLLOWING the progress report on the expansion of its network, Globacom says in another three months, it will be in a position to boast of 10-million line capacity network in addition to other services for which it got a licence from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) in 2002 as a second national carrier.

Mr. Mike Jituboh, who spoke for Globacom at a press briefing called by Siemens, said the primary concern of the company at the moment was to build the biggest network in the country. Globacom expressed gratitude to Siemens for delivering on the contract as specified in the agreement terms.

Peter Gilbert, Deputy Managing Director, Sales for Siemens, who addressed the press conference said the company had already shipped tons of equipment with installation materials in readiness for the contract, stressing that the contract was progressing according to plan.

He explained that 15 Nigerian sub-contractors had been mobilised for the civil aspect of the job, stressing that within weeks, some aspects of the expansion project would be ready for delivery.

Already, an extensive survey design works for the complete fibre optic and microwave backbone had been finalised as well as the design for various repeater sites. The civil works for the backbone have commenced in more than 20 locations. The buildings for the four main switches have reached a stage for the installation of equipment that has already arrived the country.

With the scope of work already attained, Jituboh said its fixed wireless services would commence in a matter of weeks. He also said that the international gateway licence was already operational while services on its long distance licence would also commence soon with the level of work already done on its fibre optic rings.

The scope of Siemens work for the expansion project includes the provision and installation of two main mobile switch centres in Bauchi and Kano for the interconnection of about one million new subscribers in the northern part of the country. In addition, hundreds of base stations are to be provided and installed in 20 cities and along several main roads as part of the contract. The contract is scheduled to be implemented in two phases with phase one covering Kano, Zaria, Bauchi, Kaduna and Jos; while phase two covers Sokoto, Maiduguri, and other nine cities.
Gilbert said the phase one of the project would be completed in a matter of weeks, while the phase two would be completed in a few months.

Part of the Siemens contract is for the laying of optic fibre ring of about 2,800 km length which would run from Lagos to Benin, Port Harcourt , Enugu, Abuja, Minna, Ilorin, Ibadan, Zaria and Kano. The optic ring would be for the transportation of data and voice traffic from the northern part of the country to the south, using a modern technology of high capacity.

Siemens is also expected to provide an additional digital microwave backbone connecting main cities such as Birnin Kebbi, Sokoto, Gusau, Funtua, Jos, Bauchi, Gombe, Yola, Jalingo, Potiskom, Damaturu, Maiduguri and Katsina to the fibre optic backbone.

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