Infotech

The New Revenue Stream

Celtel Nigeria and Globacom lead the pack of GSM services providers now into strategic business partnership deals with oil companies to increase their revenue stream

By CHIKODI OKEREOCHA

Celtel Call centre

For GSM services providers, the Nigerian oil industry now offers an irresistible avenue to further deepen their profit base. For instance, Celtel Nigeria, last week, sealed a strategic business partnership deal with Chevron Nigeria, one of the oil majors, which entails the mobile operator providing telecom infrastructure and communications support at the oil company’s locations throughout the country. This came shortly after Globacom, second national carrier, emerged the official telecom partner for Shell Petroleum Development Company, SPDC, following a similar deal. The arrangement which lasts for 10 years, allows Globacom to provide several telecommunication solutions to the oil firm.
Under the terms of the Celtel-Chevron partnership, the former would provide total GSM network coverage to Chevron Nigeria in all its locations including its onshore and offshore areas of operations, corporate locations such as Lagos, Abuja, Escravos, Tank Farm, Eastern Operation Area, Robertkiri and North Apoi, its South offshore and North offshore platforms and all swamp locations. Also, Celtel will activate several thousands post-paid lines for Chevron, provide direct connect service or six E1 Links; provide Celtel Mobile Office, CMO, and other ancillary solutions and value-added services. The CMO and other ancillary solutions are enterprise productivity enhancement tools which will offer users in Chevron e-mail, data services, internet faxing, web browsing, personal information management, PIM, and other wireless communication services, even when they are outside their traditional office environment or remote locations.
Ayo Gbeleyi, general manager, Lagos Region, Celtel, explained that the contract involves the construction of base stations in various locations, enabling Chevron to stay in touch with thousands of its employees and contractors in an efficient and reliable way. He said that the deal will deepen the growing congenial relationship between Celtel and Chevron Nigeria and empower staff of the oil and gas giant to communicate seamlessly, easily and conveniently.
For Bayo Ligali, chief executive officer, Celtel, the project holds huge opportunities for Chevron’s host communities in the Niger Delta especially with regard to the deployment of telecommunications infrastructure in the area. “This partnership will further support federal government’s initiative of developing the Niger Delta area through the provision of enabling infrastructure in the area and also help Celtel to further realise our brand promise of ‘Making Life Better’ for people in Nigeria,” he said. The base stations infrastructure, Ligali explained, will enable indigenes of Chevron’s host communities to experience the positive impact of telecommunications and to connect one another easily in spite of the geographical challenges.
Michael Foley, chief commercial officer, Celtel, said: “We are particularly delighted with our growing relationship with Chevron. Chevron is a very influential player in the oil and gas industry just like Celtel in the telecommunications industry. Both companies are actively involved in the development of the Nigerian economy through the yearly inflow of foreign direct investment, payment of huge taxes and levies annually, creating thousands of jobs directly and indirectly, and executing laudable corporate social responsibility projects in various host communities.” Foley noted that the partnership with Chevron sits well with Celtel’s ongoing plan to aggressively expand its transmission capacity, coverage and quality of service, enabling people in Nigeria to communicate easily, conveniently, and at an affordable price.
The Globacom-SPDC deal, on the other hand, is in line with the latter’s innovativeness.  According to Mohammed Jameel, chief operating officer, Globacom, it was the telecom firm’s innovations in the industry that favoured its choice. For instance, the company pioneered the 2.5G technology, general pocket radio service, GPRS, per-second billing, test run of 3G technology, mobile Internet, and Blackberry, among others. Specifically, Globacom would provide telecom infrastructure such as base transceiver stations and microwave, voice and data transmission services, bulk short message service, SMS, international telecommunications and value-added services, including Blackberry and vehicle tracking services.
Jameel noted that the deal, which was struck a few months ago, was part of an evolving relationship with SPDC. The choice of Globacom, he said, is an indication of SPDC’s faith in the ability of Globacom to deliver on all the terms of the contract, assuring that the company would indeed deliver. “With our investment in modern telecom infrastructure and quality of our manpower, we can guarantee that Globacom will deliver on the promise,” he said. Demola Adeyemi-Bero, SPDC business director who signed on behalf of the oil giant, said that the company opted for Globacom because of its pedigree in the telecoms industry.