Monday, June 29, 2009

Globacom Confirms It Is Interested In NITEL

Globacom has confirmed interest to buy Nigeria Telecommunications Limited (NITEL), to save the prized assets of the first national carrier.
 
It dismissed charges that this would amount to market monopoly.
 
Globacom reiterated at the weekend that it is the only national carrier licensed to provide transmission links to other telecoms operators in the country, and said it has the gravitas - among which is nationalism - to acquire and transform both NITEL and its mobile subsidiary, Mtel.
 
Its Head of Network Operations, Aremu Olajide, enthused that Globacom has all it takes to manage NITEL for better service delivery when he fielded questions at a media parley for ICT journalists in Lagos.
 
He stressed that "if given the opportunity to buy NITEL, Globacom will bring back the national pride of the country," adding that it has capacity to function as a national carrier and would lease any capacity of fibre optic connectivity links to operators in need, any time, any day.
 
"We have obligation, by the nature of our licence, to link any operator that comes to us.
 
"Other infrastructure owners who are private network operators do no have that obligation, they could turn down any request from any operator and not fall foul of any law, but Globacom cannot."
 
On plans by the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) to sell NITEL in parts, Aremu said Globacom is willing to buy the parts that would enable it function very well as a true national telecoms carrier.
 
 

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