Viettel, one of the world’s fastest growing telecom operators, on Tuesday launched its first African mobile Network in Mozambique, Movitel.
A statement from the Afridan Press Organisation on Wednesday said Viettel became the largest mobile coverage network in Mozambique, right at the launch, doubling the coverage level required by the licensing body.
With the official launch, Movitel joins its already flourishing networks in Asia and Latin America.
“In just over a year since being licensed on 10 January 10, Viettel has
built 12,600 kilometres of fiber optic cable and 1,800 mobile stations in
Mozambique. This network represents 70% of the total Mozambique’s fiber
optic cable network and 50% of the country’s mobile stations.”
The statement said the system had helped triple the density of Mozambique’s telecom infrastructure (increasing
the length of fiber optic cable network and number of mobile stations per
one million inhabitants in Mozambique by 2-3 times), making it one of the
world’s fastest growing telecommunications networks and placing the country
among the top three nations in Sub-Saharan Africa in terms of fiber optic
cable systems.
With the country’s largest network right at the launch date, Viettel’s
Movitel network is the first mobile network operator in Mozambique to have
doubled the network coverage level committed in its proposal for the
license. In addition to expanding the network, Viettel also recruits one to
two local people to provide services door-to-door in their own localities.
The statement said at the launch ceremony, Viettel also officially announced its project of
connecting and providing free internet for 4,200 schools as part of the
group’s pledge to the Mozambican Government. At present, more than 500
schools have been connected thanks to this project.
“The Mozambican Government highly appreciates Viettel’s serious investment
and commitment to social responsibility. This is the first time many areas
will have had access to telecom services, so the company has made a major
contribution to the implementation of Mozambique’s socio-economic
development and poverty reduction strategy,” said Mozambican President
Armano Emilio Guebuza.
