allAfrica.com: Nigeria: Thuraya to Enable Service Beyond GSM Coverage Areas (Page 1 of 1)

Thuraya Corporation, a leading satellite Communication provider has restated its commitment and capabilities of offering access to telecommunications anywhere in Nigeria, especially beyond the coverage area of GSM networks.

Speaking at an exclusive interview with THISDAY in Lagos, the Country Manager, Thuraya Corporation, Mr. Abdullahi Ali, said that in its ten years of operations, Thuraya has covered Europe, North and Central Africa, and large part of Southern Africa, the Middle East, Central and South Asia.

He said that Thuraya recently launched its third satellite, which would be covering Asia Pacific all the way to Australia.

Ali who reiterated that Thuraya has the capabilities to satisfy the quest by Nigerian authorities to provide access to underserved areas in rural communities , be it on land, sea, rivers, lakes, mountains, high and low valleys and anywhere within and outside the country stated that the firm's rural telephony solutions (Public calling offices and payphones) with customized low calling rates starting from as low as forty two naira per minute will enable access even to the remotest parts of the country.

He also stated that Thuraya in its bid to fulfill the communication and security needs of its customers in Nigeria, would offer tracking and security solutions in the whole of Nigeria. He said Nigeria is a special country and Thuraya is working on more solutions and more budgets for Nigeria, with a low rate in the future that will enable local participation. Ali who reiterated the capabilities of Thuraya to stretch access beyond limts reiterated that " if you want to travel out of Nigeria, you want to go to the neighbouring countries or Europe, South Africa or the Middle East, all you need to do is switch on your Thuraya phone, come out and your connected, Or if you want to go for a GSM phone or Simcard in some country where it's expensive, you don't understand how they work, and how much it's charged per minutes, all you need do is switch on your Thuraya phone" he said.

Reiterating that Thuraya simcards work through the GSM, Ali added that there is enough room and a lot of things one can do to ensure continuous connection once you go out of the coverage areas. Ali stated that Thuraya was an important solution, with low rates contrary to what some people think. He stated that the rates start from forty-two naira to fifty naira.

He added that any authorised Thuraya simcard or phone that was bought in Lagos could be used all over the country. Admitting that it might be more expensive than the GSM, because the rate cost more than the GSM, he stressed that the GSM doesn't give you the facilities you get from the Thuraya. On Competition with GSM, Ali stressed that "Thuraya is never in competition with GSM, Thuraya doesn't compete, that is the fact.

We don't compete because it's completely different", he added that " communication was a complementary service. It fills the gaps, so comparing GSM and Thuraya doesn't work. It's in the sense that it is completely different. It goes to where there's no GSM. So if you had to take something critical out of the GSM converge, and you had nothing to communicate with, and you are willing to pay the GSM in order to get the connection, I feel your are at a disadvantage," he said.

Thuraya according to him contrary to what some believe is not as expensive compared to some five, ten years ago, when the high cost of satellites Thuraya was using was costing like five dollars. Today Thuraya is bringing prices down to less than a dollar, he said.

He emphasised that Thuraya is small and light, has everything that the GSM like service can do in remote areas such as the Thuraya SO-2510 (130 grams), a lightweight pocket sized satellites phone, highly portable and more friendly users with GmPRS 60kpbs; Triband SG-2520 (180 gramm), been quipped with integrated camera 1.3 Mega pixel, plus video. Connects Bluetooth, infrared (IR), and USB. This enables one to do all you can do with the GSM smart phone, with Thuraya phone plus other activities on the antenna plus the GPS, he said.

He explained that with the phone one could go anywhere in Nigeria, could send somebody to cheapest locations and could confide with anyone in due cost. Just trap your GPS location that keeps your personal security and asset security, he said "Thuraya is actually committed to actually help all the Nigerians who need to use Thuraya communication in Nigeria. It's a very reliable service provider here.

On the number of subscriptions of Thuraya phones, Ali stated that in the mobile business, Thuraya has the biggest number of subscribers. He stressed that it managed to do a lot of business with the satellite companies.

"Competition is good, without the competition we would not be coming out with all the good products that we have", he stated, adding that when an industry is challenged with competitors, they have to be in a good team.

"So, we don't see it as a big problem. He stressed that Thuraya would never be a retail seller, and we would be working with our service leader to take our service and product to wherever possible. Our role is to bring the necessary product. To support our distributors and service providers in the countries so that is what we are trying to do. And we are trying to extend our distribution across all round the country

" We will do anything to make sure that any Nigerian who wants to use Thuraya would get it", he said, stressing that those who can buy the phone or simcard would buy, while those who cannot, "we make sure they can use the service charged for telephony, for data, for internet." "That is what Thuraya would try to do in the coming months and years. To make sure that anybody who needs Thuraya would somehow get Thuraya", he stated.

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