Smile Communications leads the 4GLTE Innovation in Africa
(Posted 09th March 2016)
Mobile phone services subscribers, in Uganda but also elsewhere in Africa, are often complaining about the quality of connections, dropped calls, i.e. connections which prematurely and often abruptly ended and the pitfalls of not getting what the person at the other end of the phone was saying. The net result of such are additional expenses by subscribers to redial and often have to talk on top of their voices, causing a nuisance to others nearby.
THAT is all coming to an end tomorrow when Smile Communications, Uganda’s leading 4GLTE network provider, will launch their latest feature, crystal clear calls with no echo and no breakdowns, as long as one is within reach of their national coverage.
Also added will be the unlimited data bundle feature for subscribers, giving their customers what they have been asking for, especially corporate clients but also tech savvy individuals and discerning clients fed up with empty promises by other service providers.
This follows Smile’s announcement in September 2015 of the raising of US D 365 million of debt and equity funding, the first tranche of which has been applied to significantly expand Smile’s existing 4G LTE mobile broadband networks. Smile’s coverage is now comparable to the largest 3G network in Nigeria, Tanzania and Uganda, with coverage in the DRC to be announced soon.
Irene Charnley, Smile Group’s Chief Executive Officer, commented yesterday ahead of the formal launch tomorrow: ‘With the introduction of SmileVoice and SmileUnlimited, we are once again demonstrating our commitment to the advancement of the people of Africa. As the pioneers of SuperFast mobile broadband on the continent, we understand the direct correlation of broadband penetration to the creation of wealth and the acceleration of development, and we are expending huge resources to make SuperFast internet access and SuperClear voice available across all our markets‘.
SmileVoice is a world-first free mobile app that enables customers with any Android or Apple iPhone device to make SuperClear voice calls over Smile’s 4G LTE networks. Having the SmileVoice app on your mobile is like having a second SIM card in your phone. SmileUnlimited provides customers with unlimited access for 30 days over Smile’s SuperFast 4G LTE broadband network.
As an additional innovation and convenience to its customers Smile is the first mobile provider in Africa to offer Voice over 4G LTE to customers with VoLTE-capable handsets and the first mobile operator to launch a free SmileVoice App to enable customers who do not have access to VoLTE-capable handsets to access its SuperClear voice services.
‘We made our first Voice over LTE calls in Nigeria during beta-testing in October 2015 and the feedback from our existing customers since our soft-launch early February has been extremely positive. Thousands of our customers now make national and international voice calls using their data bundles‘ added. Charnley.
SmileVoice will provide customers with the ability to use their data bundles to make SuperClear voice, video calls and send SMSs to any number locally and internationally.
Elaborating on the SmileUnlimited offering, Ms Charnley explained that any unlimited offering is subject to a fair usage policy (FUP) which ensures that connectivity will be maintained throughout the 30-day period, albeit at declining speeds once the generous FUP is reached. It also provides for the speed to be increased again by the simple purchase of another data bundle.
The roll-out of SmileVoice and SmileUnlimited in Nigeria will be followed by similar offerings in Uganda and Tanzania. In addition, Smile is set to launch its services in the Democratic Republic of Congo during the remainder of 2016.
Tourists visiting Uganda or Tanzania can purchase a Smile Sim card from any of the company’s outlets including at airports but are subject to local registration requirements after legislation was introduced two years ago to combat cyber crime. Either fitted into a phone or through a MiFi device, which batterylife lasts an entire day before recharging, are visitors then able to communicate with their loved ones at home via Twitter, Facebook, Instagram but also other social media, video calls on Skype or Viper and the conventional emails.
