From left: Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, Yolanda Cuba and Patricia Obo-Nai.
Vodafone Ghana yesterday launched the much-anticipated 4G long-term evolution (LTE) service in Accra to give customers of the telecoms giant a new experience of fast, reliant and seamless data services.
According to Dr Kobina Quansah, Vodafone Ghana Board Chairman, the launch marks a new beginning for all customers of Vodafone Ghana and prospective ones.
“The onset of our 4G technology is part of a concerted effort to ensure that any customer on our network is not left behind in this fast moving pace of mobile and digital technology. The technology we have launched is in total alignment with our brand promise of an exciting future – a future where every mobile phone user has the opportunity to do more on-the-go in the home and at work.”
Yolanda Cuba, outgoing CEO of Vodafone Ghana, in a welcome address, said the road to the launch has been tough especially since it required even tougher decisions by management and shareholders.
“ So the great news we are celebrating today is in order. Add the fact that management has also been able to forge an agreement between the shareholders of our company to give Vodafone a fresh lease of life through a balance sheet restructuring, and this celebration will be complete! This is because the balance sheet restructuring has been outstanding for a number of years.
“What I can assure our customers is that Vodafone is on an upward trajectory and the outlook for this year and subsequent ones is very promising.”
She added that the 4G deployment remained one of Vodafone’s biggest investments since it began operations in Ghana.
In a speech, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, Minister of Communications, stated: “I consider today’s launch a consolidation of the solid partnership that was struck back in 2008 between our government and Vodafone Group UK. We settled on Vodafone as partners in the then Ghana Telecommunications Company Limited because we had a master plan for the telecommunications industry, for which Vodafone was best suited.”
She continued: “We wanted to achieve liberalisation, accessibility, affordability and technological dominance. I believe we continue to see the benefits of this crucial decision, which was met with a lot of criticism. I like what I see within the telecommunications industry now – it’s much more consolidated and highly competitive.”
Adding that 4G was great, she said she saw it as a step towards deploying 5G by the industry.
Ghana’s data penetration stands at 80.3% and growing, close to 100% mobile phone penetration, among others.
Patricia Obo-Nai is the incoming CEO of Vodafone Ghana.