Maiduguri — Foremost GSM operator, MTN, has launched its community telephoning with 650 telephone boxes spread across five states.

Launching MTN Community Phone in Maiduguri, Borno State capital, the company's Brand Manager (Xtraconnect), Mrs Saidat Lawal-Mohammed, said the project was designed for the low income class that cannot afford to buy and maintain handsets.

Mohammed said the choice of Maiduguri to launch the project nationwide, was to show MTN seriousness, as the city is the farthest state capital to the company's operational base of Lagos .

She said "we decided on Maiduguri for the launch to show to everybody that we really mean business and set to get to every nooks and crannies of the country."

Lawal-Mohammed said the community phone is at discounted rates, as the company is set to make telephone available to all Nigerians at a pocket-friendly rate, adding that to call any network through the line costs only N22 per minute and 37 kobo per second.

She said you can get a sim which allows accessibility to the service for as low as N150, and buy recharge cards for as little as N100 for a wide range of opportunities enjoyed by mobile handset users, including voice and text messaging.

She the launch train moves from Maiduguri to Owerri, Imo State capital, adding that in the pioneer five states, an average of 130 boxes have be designated for distribution.